Issued  Weekly  by  the  Dike  Book  Company.  37  Vandewater  Street.     Subscription  Price,  $2.50  per  year. 
Entered  at  the  New  York  Post  Office  as  second-class  matter,  April,  1898. 

Vol.  III. — No.  18~       Sew  York,  August  1, 1896.       Priee  5  Cents? 

THE  GUNBOAT  BOYS; 

OR, 

HARRY  AND  ARTIE  AMONG   THE    GUERRILLAS. 


By    ARTHUR    A.    RANKIN. 


ARTIE  SPRUNG  UPON  THE  PROSTRATE  GUERRILLA  THE  INSTANT  HE  REACHED 

THE  GROUND. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE; 

—OR. — 
AMONG    TTIIE    GUEKILL.A8. 


BT   A.    RANKIN. 


CHxVPTER  I. 
STIRRING    TIMES. 

The  sun  was  just  setting  beyond  the 
village  one  evening  early  in  the  year  1861, 
when  a  heavily-built,  portly  youth 
emerged  from  the  little  railroad  station 
and  walked  rapidly  up  the  street.  A 
minute  or  two  after  he  left  the  station  a 
man  came  hastily  out  of  it,  and  pinned  a 
bit  of  paper  on  the  wall,  seemingly  to 
attract  the  attention  of  the  passers-by. 

Our  portly  youth  did  not  stop  to  learn 
the  contents  of  the  paper — he  well  knew 
it,  but  continued  his  gait,  occasionally 
breaking  into  a  run,  as  if  stimulated  by 
the  utmost  excitement. 

At  length,  when  he  reached  a  turn  in 
the  street,  he  increased  his  pace  to  the 
top  of. his  speed,  directing  his  steps  to- 
ward a  modest  little  house  set  back  some 
little  distance  from  the  road. 

He  sprung  over  the  low  fence  with  an 
ease  ana  grace  that  showed  his  weight 
was  well  supported  by  good  solid  muscle. 

A  minute  later  he  entered  the  door  of 
the  house  without  ceremony. 

The  room  he  entered  had  a  single  oc- 
cupant, a  youth  about  his  own  age,  who 
was  lying  on  a  sofa. 

"  Hullo,  Artie!"  he  cried,  raising  him- 
self on  one  arm;  "your  face  is  full  of 
news.  What's  going  on  in  the  sleepy  old 
town?  Nothing  wrong  down  home 
again,  is  there?"  he  added  anxiously, 
noticing  that  Artie  paid  no  attention  to 
his  rapid  questions. 

••Oli,  nb,"  replied  Artie;  "but  I'll  tell 
yoa  what,"  he  continued,  springing  up 
and  coming  close  to  the  sofa,  "  they  have 
gone  and  done  it." 

"Who?  What?"  demanded  the  other, 
astonished  and  fully  aroused  at  the  ex- 
cited and  abrupt  manner  of  his  com- 
panion. 

At  this  moment  the  sound  of  a  bass 
drum,  beaten  violently  and  without  re- 
gard to  time,  reached  their  ears.  The 
same  sound  reached  them  an  instant 
later  from  a  number  of  smaller  drums. 

Artie  went  to  the  window  and  stood 
looking  out  entranced,  much  to  the  dis- 
gust of  his  friend,  who  had  yet  been 
unable  to  learn  the  ea  ise  <>(  the  racket. 

"  Harry,  I'll  be  back  again  this  even- 
ing." said  Artie,  springing  to  the  door. 

"Come    back    here!"    shouted    Harry, 


just  as  the  door  was  closing.     "  What  -1o 
you  2uean  going  oif  that  way,   and  )uol 
telling  me  what  all   this   fuss  is  aboutv 
Come,"  he  said,  impatiently,  as  Artie  sat 
down  again,  "let  me  have  it  right  away.  * 

"Well.it  seems  to  me  you  ought  td 
guess,"  returned  the  other;  "but  if  you 
can't,  here  it  is:  I  was  in  th<?  railroad 
station,  a  few  minutes  ago,  and  a  mes. 
sage  came'fever  the  telegraph  that  th$ 
rebels  had  tired  on  Fort  Sumter,  and 
that  the  Union  garrison  had  surren- 
de  red . " 

Harry  listened  incredulously  to  this, 
and  when  he  received  the  import  of  it  he 
lay  back  on  the  sofa,  and  looked  at  his 
friend  without  speaking. 

"I  s'pose  the  message  is  all  over  town 
by  this  time,  and  that's  what  the  noise 
means,''  added  Artie. 

"Just  what  I've  been  wishing  for,'1 
cried  Harry,  rubbing  his  hands  in  de 
light,  and  not  noticing  Artie's  last  re- 
mark. "  Ever  since  last  fall,"  he  went 
on,  "I  have  wanted  a  chance  to  thrash 
those  high  handed  fellows  down  there, 
and  now  we'll  have  it,  sure.  But,"  he 
continued,  "did  you  say  they  surren- 
dered?" 

He  had  grown  quite  grave  now. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Artie;  "so  the  mes- 
sage said;  but  how's  your  foot?" 

"Oh,  pretty  nearly  well.  I'll  be  out  in 
a  few  days,  as  well  as  ever,"  he  answered, 
carelessly. 

Harry  was  thinking  of  the  news — such 
stunning  news — that  thrilled  every  per- 
son of  the  whole  vast  North. 

Harry,  ccol  and  far-seeing  beyond  his 
years,  felt  that  the  struggle  coming  was 
to  be  a  terrible  one,  and  he  already  be- 
gan to  repent  of  his  expressed  satisfac- 
tion that  war  had  really  come.  He  plied 
Artie  with  questions,  but  as  yet  the  news 
was  meager,  only  the  single  brief  mes- 
sage, conveying  the  unwelcome  tidings 
that  the  United  States  had  engaged  in  a 
war,  and  had  already  been  defeated. 

Every  one  knows  how  that  defeat  sat 
upon  the  feelings  of  .the  proud  North. 

Every  fiber  of  her  vast  territory  tingled 
with  shame  and  anger,  and  above  all 
with  a  desire  that  the  South  should  be 
repaid  in  terrible  principal  and   interest. 

After  a  little  more  talk  Artie  started 
out  to  see  what  action  was  to  be  taken  in 
the  village,  while  Harry  settled  himself 
comfortably  on  his  sofa,  to  tl:i;K  he 
matter  all  over  again. 

While  the  two  friends  &„u  i-opwrated, 
we  will  take  the  opportuo"  of  making 
the  readers  a  little  better  acquainted 
with  them. 

Harry  Phillips  lived  with  his  motnerin 

the  neat  little  house  in  which   tne   pre- 

1  ceding  dialogue  took   place.     His  father 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


c5;ed  about  four  years  before,  leaving  his 
wife  and  son  fairly  provided  for.  Harry 
had  been  preparing  for  college,  and  ex- 
pected to  enter  in  the  fall  of  the  year  of 
the  opening  of  our  story. 

He  and  Arthur  Linden  were  steadfast 
friends,  though  differing  from  each  other 
in  almost  every  respect.  While  Arthur 
was  not,  st/ictly  speaking,  portly,  he  in- 
clined that  way;  on  the  other  hand 
Harry  was  slender,  though  constant 
healthy  exerci.-e  had  made  both  as  tough 
and  wiry  as  gymnasts.  Both  were  the 
same  height — vise  feet  eleven  inches — 
both  excelled  in  out-door  pursuits,  and 
Harry  in  school. 

Arthur  did  not  like  school,  and  avoided 
as  many  lessons  as  possible.  Though  not 
a  dull  boy  by  any  moans,  he  was  quite 
content  to  shamble  along  with  any  kind 
of  an  average,  declaring  that  he  did  not 
have  much  brain,  and  t^at  it  wouldn't 
stretch. 

Harry,  who  wielded  a.i  immense  in- 
fluence over  him,  always  fe  t  himself  at  a 
loss  here.  When  he  coaxed  0>r  threatened 
Archur 'would  merely  laugh  at  him,  and 
say:  ''You  must  hold  up  the  intellectual 
end  of  the  partnership.1'  F<>\-  these  two 
were,  so  to  speak,  partners,  i..nd  shared 
everything  alike. 

Arthur  s  heme  life  was  far  f:,om  pleas- 
ant. His  parents  both  died  when  he  was 
small,  and  he  was  sent  to  live  with  his 
father's  step-brother,  who  was  appointed 
guardian. 

This  man  was  sordid  and  avavicious  to 
the  last  degree. 

His  first  wife  loved  the  little  boy,  but 
when  he  was  ten  years  she  too  died,  and 
his  guardian  married  a  woman  as  mean 
and  unscrupulous  as  himself. 

What  the  children  of  the  amiable  pair 
were  can  be  imagined;  they  continually 
were  endeavoring  to  get  Arthur  into 
trouble,  and  they  were  the  cause  of  fierce 
quarrels  between  him  and  his  half- 
uncle. 

He  had  long  wished  to  leave  so  un- 
pleasant a  home,  but  his  love  for  his 
friend,  and  other  considerations,  had 
induced  him  to  stay  there  as  a  necessary 
evil. 

About  three  weeks  previous  to  the 
opening  of  this  story,  the  two  went  squir- 
rel hunting,  and  while  crossing  a  gully 
Harry's  feet  slipped  from  the  wet  anil 
slippery  log,  which  served  as  a  bridge, 
and  he  fell  into  the  rocky  bed  of  a  dry 
creek,  about  fifteen  feet  below.  He  tried 
to  get  up,  but  found  he  was  unable  to 
stand  upon  his  left  foot.  Arthur  coming 
up  at  the  moment  pronounced  the  hurt 
a  sprain,  and  lifting  him  up  carried  him 
the  distance  of  a  mile,  to  the  nearest 
house. 


CHAPTER  II. 

OFF  FOR  THE  WAR. 

A  week  has  passed.  The  whole  country 
is  in  a  fever  of  excitement  and  energy. 
The  President  has  called  for  75,000  troops 
to  put  down  the  rebellion.  Cities,  towns 
and  villages,  Hammet  among  the  rest, 
are  making  preparations  to  send  volun- 
teers to  the  scene  of  action. 

Harry  Phillips'  foot  is  so  much  better 
that  now  he  sits  on  the  porch  listeningto 
his  friend's  excited  remarks,  as  he  lets 
fall  intelligence  received  during  the  day. 
The  two  friends  had  fully  decided  that 
they  would  "go  to  war,"  and  just  at 
that  time  nobody  could  have  persuaded 
them  that  their  country  could  do  with- 
out them  in  the  pressing  emergency. 

Not  a  word  had  been  said  as  yet  re- 
questing permission  to  go,  but  as  soon  as 
Harry's  foot  was  entirely  well  po  time 
was  to  be  lost  in  making  that  move. 

"Say,  Artie,  all  this  talk  has  been  about 
my  permission,"  said  Harry  suddenly. 
"Ho  you  suppose  it  will  be  all  right  with 
you  ?" 

A  shade  of  bitterness  crossed  Arthur's 
face  wdien  he  laughed,  saying,  "Oh,  that 
will  be  all  right.  I'll  just  tell  them  I'm 
going.     They'll  be  glad  to  be  rid  of  me." 

"  Oh,  I  guess  it  isn't  so  bad  as  that,"  re- 
plied Harry,  soothingly. 

"  Isn't  it!"  rejoined  Arthur,  warmly. 
"Why,  they  grudge  the  very  food  I  eat  as 
if  it  was  so  much  money  thrown  away." 

"Well,  you  will  be  soon  out  of  their 
clutches  whether  they  like  it  or  not." 

"  I  hope  so,"  replied  Arthur,  grimly. 

"I  tell  you  what,  Artie,"  said  Harry, 
"come  around  to-night  and  I'll  ask 
mother.  I  can't  wait  any  longer,  and 
when  you  go  home  suppose  you  ask  your 
guard  and  see  what  he  says."" 

About  half-past  seven  Arthur  opened 
the  door  of  the  Phillips  house  and 
walked  into  the  same  room  in  which  we 
saw  him  on  another  occasion.  Mrs.  Phil- 
lips and  her  son  were  already  there. 

Mrs.  Phillips,  who  was  a  tall,  fine  look- 
ing woman,  greeted  Arthur  pleasantly 
and  said,  "You  and  Harry  must  have 
some  scheme  in  your  heads.  He  has 
been  expecting  you  for  half  an  hour." 

"I  don't  know  whether  you  will  call  it 
a  scheme  or  not,  Mrs.  Phillips,  though 
whatever  you  call  it  I  think  you  will 
hardly  like  it." 

Mrs.  Phillips  turned  her  eyes  on  Ar- 
thur with  a  look  of  inquiry,  when  Harrv 
broke  in  with,  "  Now,  see'here,  Artie,  if 
you  are  going  to  talk  that  way  you  had 
better  keep  quiet.  I  can  do  better  than 
that  myself." 

"We'll,  go  ahead,"  replied  Arthur,  good- 
humoredly. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


"Well,  mother,  it  is  this.  We  want  to 
join  the  army  right  away." 

Mrs.  Phillips  gave  a  slight  start,  and 
elevated  her  brews  a  little,  but  other- 
wise seemed  unaffected.  8hesimplysaid: 
"  You  are  foolish,  Harry;  you  don't  know 
what,  yon  ask/' 

"  What  are  your  objections?''  he  asked. 

"  I  didn't  Bay  1  had  any  objections," 
she  replied. 

This  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  argu- 
ment which  lasted  for  several  hours 
without  coining  to  any  definite  result. 


Two  weeks  later  our  heroes  stepped 
aboard  a  small  Ohio  steamer  en  route  to 
Cairo,  which  was  a  great  mustering- 
ground  during  the  late  war. 

They  had  no  definite  plans — they  did 
not  know  whether  they  would  be  as- 
signed to  army  or  navy  service. 

Mrs.  Phillips  had  given  in  to  her  son 
only  after  repeated  and  strong  argu- 
ments, while  as  Arthur  predicted  he  had 
no  trouble  in  getting  the  consent  of  his 
guardian. 

When  we  see  our  friends  again  it  is  on 
a  Mississippi  River  gun  boat,  the  Dragon 
Fly,  some  months  later.  During  the 
time  passed  the  first  bugle-call  of  the 
war  had  been  forgotten  in  the  greater 
events  which  quickly  followed. 

The  people  of  the  North  as  reverse 
after  reverse  struck  them  only  became 
more  determined  that  the  rebellion 
should  be  subdued. 

After  the  first  few  months  of  fierce  ex- 
citement and  novelty  passed  by  things 
settled  into  the  groove  of  steady  perse- 
verance on  both  sides,  that  nothing  short 
of  absolute  submission  on  the  one  side 
and  the  acknowledgment  of  their  inde- 
pendence on  the  other  side  could  move. 

We  must,  however,  go  quickly  to  our 
story.  Harry  and  Arthur  were  put 
through  the  exhaustive  drills  and  exor- 
cises which  every  one  on  a  war  vessel 
must  go  through. 

Under  the  eyes  of  watchful  superiors 
it  was  quickly  ascertained  in  what  our 
heroes  excelled  and  how  they  could  be 
made  the  most  capable. 

Arthur's  ready  knowledge  of  fire-arms 
"was  so  marked  that  it  promised  for  him 
the  position  of  commander  of  one  of  the 
guns,  while  Harry  had  so  completely  per- 
fected himself  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
different  kinds  of  ammunition  that  he 
was  given  charge  of  the  magazine  of  the 
gun-boat. 

The  commander  of  the  Dragon  Fly, 
Captain  Chewes,  a  man  of  shrewd  ob- 
servance, had  already  noted  particularly 
his  two  subalterns  and   told  himself  that 


were  they  spared  to  the  service  great 
things  would  come  of  them. 

Nor  was  he  mistaken. 

At  this  time  the  Confederates  held  the 
Mississippi  as  far  up  as  Memphis,  and  it 
was  the  purpose  of  the  United  States  to, 
open  up  the  river  for  several  reasons  un- 
necessary to  mention  here. 

Life  was  very  monotonous  on  the 
Dragon  Fly,  which  lay  in  the  river  un- 
able to  descend  the  stream  on  acjount  of 
the  enemy's  ships. 

One  day  as  the  boat  slowly  steamed 
from  shore  to  shore,  Harry  came  to  Ar- 
thur and  sat  down  on  the  deck. 

"Artie,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh  of  relief, 
"  we  may  have  a,  chance  to  get  a-w-aj7  from 
here  for  a  few  hours." 

'"What's  going  on?"  asked  Arthur, 
eagerly. 

N'I  understand  that  the  captain  has 
received  information  that  there  is  a  band 
of  guerillas  about  ten  miles  buck  in  the 
country  who  are  up  to  all  sets  of  mis- 
chief, and  from  the  way  in  which  he 
spoke  to  Mr.  Flack,  the  first  lieutenant, 
I  believe  he  is  going  to  make  a  raid  on 
them." 

"  Who  is  he  going  to  take?"  asked  Ar- 
thur, with  interest. 

"  That's  just  what  nobody  knows,"  re- 
plied Harry.  "  He  may  take  the  first 
company  or  the  second  or  he  may  ask  for 
volunteers." 

"He  won't  be  likely  to  talie  all  the 
force,  then,  you  think?" 

"Certainly  not — somebody  has  got  to 
take  care  of  the  ship." 

"  Who  do  you  suppose  could  harm  this 
gun-boat? '  asked  Arthur,  scornfully. 

"  There's  no  telling.  Anyway,  it  would 
never  do  to  leave  it  with  only  half  a 
dozen  men  aboard.'' 

"  Is  there  any  chance  for  us  4o  go  with 
the  party?"  asked  Arthur,  returning  to 
the  subject. 

"I'll  tell  you  how  we'll  fix  it.  Incase  he 
don't  ask  for  volunteers  and  orders  off 
a  company,  we'll  go  up  and  ask  him  if 
he  can't  make  a  place  for  us  in  the 
party." 

Just  then  Harry  was  called  away  and 
Arthur  himself  set  about  something  that 
kept  him  busy  till  the  evening  mess. 

Immediately  it  was  over  the  order  came 
to  muster  out  the  first  company.  In  a 
few  seconds  it  was  standing  in  orderly 
attitude  before  the  captain,  beside  whom 
was  Mr.  Flack,  the  first  lieutenant. 

Captain  Chewes  addressed  a  few  words 
to  them,  instructing  them  to  obey  im- 
plicitly the  commands  of  Lieutenant 
Flack.  "That  is  all,  my  lads."  he  said 
in  conclusion,  "except  that  I  expect  you 
to  render  a  good  account  to  me  when 
1  you  return." 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


At  this  moment  Harry  advanced,  with 
cap  in  hand,  Arthur  immediately  fol- 
lowing. 

"  What  is  it,  lads?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  We  would  like  to  accompany  the  ex- 
pedition, sir,  if  you  have  no  objection," 
replied  Harry. 

"  I  guess  there  is  enough  in  the  party 
already.     I  dare  not  send  too  many.'' 

Harry  touched  his  cap  and  stepped 
back  deeply  disappointed. 

The  captain  noticed  the  look,  and  ap- 
peared to  meditate. 

"The  success  of  the  expedition  may 
depend  on  the  caution  of  such  a  steady 
young  fellow  as  he,"  he  said  to  himself; 
then  aloud,  "I  think,  after  all,  you  two 
may  go — and  learn  as  much  as  you  can 
about  the  county,"  he  added,  as  he  turned 
aw  a} . 

Harry  and  Arthur  thanked  him,  and 
set  about  preparing  themselves. 

They  were  to  etart  as  soon  as  it  was 
fairly  "dark,  and  carry  only  light  weapons. 
Harry  and  Arthur  provided  themselves 
with  two  navy  revolvers  each,  and  waited 
impatiently  for  the  order  to  start. 


CHAPTER  III. 

A  CAPTURE. 

It  was  about  nine  o'clock  when  the 
boats  put  off  from  the  Dragon  Fly,  and 
headed  for  the  Missouri  shore. 

It  was  very  cloudy,  and  so  dark  that 
had  there  been  no  guide  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  tind  the  rendezvous  of 
the  guerillas. 

The  party  numbered  thirty-three,  in- 
cluding the  first  lieutenant,  who  com- 
manded, and  Harry  ar.,d  Arthur.  The 
guide  was  a  recruit  from  Missouri,  who 
was  entirely  familiar  with  the  country, 
and  easily  recognized  the  house  in  which, 
according  to  the  captain's  information, 
the  guerilla  band  was  congregated. 

The  information  received  by  the  cap- 
tain— and  unfortunately  he  did  not  know- 
whet  her  it  was  trustworthy  or  not — said 
there  were  very  few  guerillas  at  the  house 
at  present,  but  that  later  on  there  would 
be  more.  So  if  the  raid  was  to  bo  made, 
it  should  be  made  at  once. 

As  soon  as  a  landing  was  effected  the 
utmost  silence  was  enjoined,  in  order 
that  if  any  enemy  was  near  their  presence 
would  not  be  noticed. 

The  guide  took  the  lead,  and  boldly 
plunged  into  the  shrubbery,  which  grew 
thickly  along  the  bank. 

The  rest  of  the  party  followed  closely 
in  double  file,  with  Harry  and  Arthur 
bringing  up  the  rear. 

After  moving  at  a.  rapid  walk  for  about 
an  hour,  Harry  whispered:  "Artie,  this 
business  don't  look  right  to  me." 


"Why  not?"  asked  Arthur,  in  a  whis- 
per. 

"Because  we  have  no  guide,  but  one  of 
our  own  men.  Suppose  the  news  is  all 
false,  what's  to  prevent  us  being  led  into 
an  ambush?" 

"Do  you  suppose  Andrews,  our  guide, 
would  lead  us  into  an  ambush?"  asked 
Arthur,  in  an  indignant  whisper. 

"  That's  not  what  I  mean,"  answered 
Harry.  "It's  this — the  captain  got  in- 
formation; w  here  did  he  get  it?  Hedon't 
know.  It  might  have  been  from  these 
very  guerillas.  They  might  tell  just  how 
to  get  to  their  place,  and  say  there  was 
no  force  there;  then  they  could  run  into 
the  country  and  get  up  a  gang,  and  be 
all  ready  for  us.     Don't  you  see?" 

"I  see  what  you  mean,"  said  Arthur; 
"but  there  is  no  telling.  The  informa- 
tion might  be  true." 

"It  might,  but  I  doubt  it,"  replied 
Harryr. 

They  had  been  marching  steadily  for 
about  two  hours,  and  had  come  about 
eight  miles.  _ 

If  accounts  were  true  t*e  guerilla's 
house  was  about  two  miles  further  on. 

Here  the  lieutenant  called  a  halt. 

"I  think,  Andrews,"  he  said  to  the 
guide,  "you  had  better  go  ahead  and  see 
what  things  look  like." 

"I  think  we  had  all  better  go  closer," 
suggested  Andrews.  "  You  see,  sir,"'  he 
said,  addressing  Lieutenant  Flack,  "it 
would  take  me  an  hour  to  go  there  and 
back,  and  that  would  bring  us  to  twelve 
o'clock;  then  it  would  take  us  a  half  hour 
to  go  there  from  here,  and  if  anything 
would  happen  to  keep  us  here  after  day- 
light it  might  be  a-long  time  till  we  see 
the  Mississippi  again." 

As  tins  was  unquestionably  the  most 
sensible  view  of  the  question,  the  lieuten- 
ant gave  in  and  the  march  was   resumed. 

After  this  extreme  caution  was  used, 
and  the  next  halt  was  made  within  view 
of  the  house. 

The  house  itself  could  not  be  seen  on 
account  of  the  intense  darkness,  but  here 
and  there  lights  twinkled  through  half- 
shut  or  carelessly  drawn  curtains. 

Andrews  was  about  to  say  something, 
when  all  were  startled  by  the  sound  of 
voices  close  by. 

"Down!  down!  in  the  grass  for  your 
lives,"  whispered  the  lieutenant  excitedly. 

Luckily  the  grass  was  quite  long,  and 
they  were  fairly  out  of  danger  of  dis- 
eoveiy. 

From  their  position  all  heard  the  fol- 
lowing conversation: 

"I  tell  you  they're  afeard  to  come. 
You  say  Cap  Henry  told  us  to  be  on  hand. 
Well,  we  will  be,  but  they'll  be  no  Yanks, 
you  bet." 


6 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


This  was  sa{d  in  a  whining  tone. 

"Yas,  they'll  come,"  said  another 
voice,  "  er  less  they're  the  tarnalest  ba- 
bies as  ever  claimed  to  carry  shootin' 
iron." 

"Did  you  say  as  how  cap  writ  the 
Yank  eap'n  a  letter?"  asked  the  whining 
voice  again. 

"  Tolable  smart  trick  that;  and  he  said 
he'd  hev  three  hundred  men  in  the  house 
to-night,  so  if  they  did  come  he  could 
tike  em  all  pris'ners.  Tolable  smart  un, 
Uap  Henry  is,  ain't  he?" 

"  Well,  let's  go  down  to  the  house,  to 
b  >  there  if  the  Yankees  show  theirselves," 
replied  the  other. 

The  sound  of  their  footsteps  soon  died 
away  on  the  grassy  ground,  and  in  a  few 
minutes  perfect  silence  reigned  around. 

"Men,"  said  the  lieutenant,  springing 
up,  "  we  can't  be  of  use  here.  It  is  plain 
the  captain  of  the  Dragon  Fly  has  been 
played  with  by  these  fellows,  and  the 
sooner  we  get  out  of  this  locality  the  bet- 
ter it  will  be  for  us." 

This  was  a  rather  inglorious  ending  to 
the  expedition,  but  no  one  had  a  right  to 
complain. 

On  the  way  back  Harry  observed,  as 
much  as  was  possible  in  the  pitchy  dark- 
ness, the  features  of  tne  country  through 
which  they  were  passing.  It  seemed  that 
most  of  the  route  lay  through  a  thinly- 
grown  forest,  except  within  a  few  miles 
of  t lie  river,  where  the  larjd  was  culti- 
vated. 

The  journey  back  was  a  little  more 
stirring  than  the  first. 

They  had  scarcely  left  the  house  two 
miles  behind,  when  they  ran  almost  di- 
rectly upon  two  men. 

Andrews,  being  in  the  lead,  collared 
one,  and  pressed  his  pistol  against  his 
head.  "  A  word  and  you  are  dead,"  was 
all  that  this  fellow  needed. 

The  lieutenant  had  more  trouble.  He 
also  seized  his  man  by  the  collar,  but  be- 
lie could  do  any  more  he  was 
promptly  knocked  down  by  a  well-di- 
rected right-hander  that  struck  him  full 
bet  ween  the  eyes. 

The  two  men  behind,  however,  sprung 
upon  the  pugilistic  Confederate,  and 
with  one  at  his  throat  and  another  hold- 
ing both  his  arms,  he  was  quickly 
brought  to  terms. 

"An1  who  are  you  that  stop  honest 
men  on  the  public  highway?  Ain't  you 
from  the  shanty'.'"  he  demanded. 

The  lieutenant  was  too  much  dazed  to 
reply,  so  Hairy  volunteered  to  answer 
his  quesl  ions: 

"We  have  been  to  the  shanty,"  he  said, 
supposing  the  man  to  mean  the  guerilla 
house. 

■'  Waal,  what  d'ye  mean  ketchin'  a   fel- 


ler up  this  here  way?"  demanded  the  man 
again,  supposing  a  joke  was  being  played 
on  him  by  his  friends. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  Harry;  "you  are  our 
prisoner,  and  we'll  take  you  to  our  gun- 
boat." 

"Eh?  You  Yanks?"  he  ejaculated, 
greatly  startled  and  alarmed. 

"We  belong  to  the  United  State; 
Navy,"  replied  Harry.  "So  you  were 
one  of  the  gang  we  paid  a  visit  to  to- 
night?" he  added,  hoping  to  gain  some 
information  about  the  plans  of  the  guer- 
illas. 

"You  were  thar,  were  you?"  asked  the 
prisoner,  who  appeared  to  be  greatly 
amazed. 

"Yes,  we  wei'e,"  said  Harry,  with  a 
laugh.  "YTou  ought  to  see  the  place 
now." 

"I  b'l'eve  you're  lyin',"  replied  the 
prisoner,  incredulously.  "You'd  a-never 
come  away  agin  if  you  had  ben  thar." 

"Well,  we  were  there,  as  you  could  see 
if  you  were  there,"  answered  Harry. 
"  That  was  a  fine  trap  you  thought  you 
laid  for  us.  You  thought  you'd  get  us 
there  and  take  us  all  prisoners,  but  you 
see  we  were  too  sharp  for  you." 

Harry,  while  telling  the  truth  alto 
gether,  had  led  the  man  to  believe  that 
the  guerilla  house  had  been  visited  and 
destroyed,  and  that  their  clever  plan  had 
been  found  out. 

He  now  put  the  finishing  touch  on  his 
work,  by  saying: 

"Cap  Henry  couldn't  write  a  smart 
enough  letter  to  fool  us." 

The  guerilla  seemed  to  think  every- 
thing known  to  this  incomprehensible 
youth,  but  Harry  was  afraid  to  question 
him  much,  for  fear  of  making  a  blunder. 

By  this-time  the  lieutenant  had  so  far 
recovered  as  to  order  the  march  to  con- 
tinue. 

The  two  prisoners  were  secured  be 
tween  the  men,  and  the  march  was  again 
resumed. 

It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
they  reached  the  Dragon  Fly,  and  all 
were  quite  tired  out  by  their  profitless 
vent  a  re. 

Harry's  active  mind  had  conceived  a 
project  on  the  march,  which  he  was  in 
haste  to  lay  before  the  commander,  not- 
withstanding his  farigue. 


CHATTER  IV. 

ON     A     MISSION. 

The  next  morning,  about  nine  o'clock, 
Harry  and  Arthur  were  ushered  into  the 
captain's  presence. 

"  Well,  lads,"  he  said,  briskly,  as  both 
saluted,   "  what  now?" 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


"I  suppose  you  know,  captain,  or, 
rattier,  you  remember  we  were  both 
on  the  expedition  last  night  ?"  began 
Harry. 

"Yes." 

"And  as  the  expedition  was  a  failure,  I 
thought  it  would  not  be  wrong  to  lay  be-' 
fore  you  a  plan,  by  which  I  think  we  can 
get  rid  of  those  guerillas  with  very  little 
loss  of  blood — possibly  none." 

"Ha!''  exclaimed  the  captain,  growing 
interested.  "And  how  would  you  go 
about  it?" 

"That's  just  what  I  came  to  ask  per- 
mission to  do — burn  them  out,"  replied 
Harry. 

"  What  is  j'our  purpose?"  demanded 
the  matter-of-fact  captain. 

Harry  then  explained  in  what  manner 
he  intended  to  proceed. 

"How  long  do  you  expect  this  venture 
to  occupy  your  time?"  finally  asked  the 
captain. 

"Two  nights  and  one  day,  at  the 
longest." 

"  When  do  you  want  to  start?" 

"The  same  time  to-night  as  we  started 
last  night." 

"  How  many  men?  I  wouldn't  like  to 
trust  any  number  in  the  territory  just 
now." 

"Just  our  two  selves,  sir,"  replied 
Harry.  "  We  are  used  to  each  other,  and 
have  all  sorts  of  secret  signals,  which  no- 
body else  would  understand.  The  fewer 
men  the  better  on  an  enterprise  of  this 
sort." 

"  You  may  go  now,"  said  the  captain, 
abruptly.     "I'll  Think  the  matter  over." 

Our  heroes  saluted  and  left  the  cabin. 

"  I  tell  you  what,"  said  Arthur,  when 
they  reached  the  deck,  "there  is  no  tell- 
ing from  what  the  captain  says  what  he 
thinks." 

"Just  wait,"  said  Harry,  confidentially; 
"he's  all  right." 

As  the  day  wore  on,  however,  the  boys 
began  to  get  anxious.  Three  o'clock 
came  and  went,  with  no  summons  from 
the  captain. 

Our  heroes  were  together,  in  readiness 
to  wait  on  him  the  instant  he  gave  the 
order. 

"We'll  get  ready  to  start,  anyway,  so 
as  not  xo  be  delayed  by  the  old  man," 
said  Harry. 

The  sun  was  just  setting  when  Harry 
was  again  summoned  to  the  cabin. 

The  captain,  who  was  busily  writing, 
laid  down  his  pen  as  Harry,  cap  in  hand, 
approached  the  table. 

"  I  have  questioned  the  prisoners  you 
brought  *n  last  night,  fully,"  he  said, 
"and  wormed  from  them  that  this  house 
is.a  rendezvous  for  guerillas  of  a  territory 
at  least  one   hundred  miles  square.     \i 


such  is  the  case  I  think  I  am  justified  in 
ordering  you  to  proceed  as  you  have  sug- 
gested." 

Harry  bowed  his  thanks,  and  was  with- 
drawing when  the  captain  called  after 
him: 

"  I  tried  to  find  out  from  the  prisoners 
if  there  was  any  other  gang  they  knew  of 
on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  Of  course 
they  told  me  no.  Make  that  a  particular 
object  of  your  expedition,  to  find  out 
where  another  one  is.  Now  do  your  best, 
take  care  of  yourself,  and  remember  your 
name  will  go  to  Washington  in  the  event 
of  extraordinary  service." 

As  Harry  left  the  room  the  captain 
again  called  out:  "I'll  be  on  deck  before 
you  go." 

"Very  good,  sir,"  replied  our  hero. 

It  took  but  a  minute  for  him  to  find 
Arthur,  and  tell  him  that  everything  was 
satisfactorily  arranged,  and  "that  they 
would  leave  the  boat,  as  near  as  he  knew, 
about  an  hour  after  sunset. 

Half  an  hour  later  both  stood  on  the 
river-bank,  watching  the  boat  that 
brought  them  off,  rapidly  disappearing 
in  the  gathering  twilight. 

"We  are  in  for  it  now,"  said  Arthur, 
"and  if  I  am  not  wrong  we  will  wish  we 
were  safe  on  board  the  Dragon  Fly  before 
many  hours." 

"  We  can  tell  more  about  that  to-mor- 
row," was  Harry's  only  reply. 

They  now  struck  directly"into  the  in- 
terior, as  they  wanted  an  abundance  of 
time  for  their  work. 

"It  will  be  two  hours  and  a  half  before 
we  get  there,"  said  Harry,  as  they  walked 
rapidly  along,  "  and  at  that  time  it  ought 
to  be  nice  and  dark." 

They  had  brought  with  them  a  wad  of 
cotton,  soaked  in  coal  oil,  and  a  box  of 
matches.  Each  had  their  two  navy  re- 
volvers. Their  two  days'  rations  were 
their  only  incumbrance. 

They  had  gone,  as  near  as  they  could 
judge,  about  five  miles,  when  Arthur 
caught  Harry's  arm. 

"1  think  somebody's  following  us,"  he 
whispered,  softly. 

"We'll  soon  find  out,"  replied  Harry. 
"When  I  give  the  word  we  will  separate. 
You  go  to  the  right  and  I  to  the  left,  but 
no  further  away  from  here  than  is  nec- 
essary for  us  to"  get  well  hidden.  Wait 
till  you  see  if  anybody  is  coming.  If  we 
don't  get  together  again,  you  have 
matches  and  coal-oil.  Go  ahead  and  make 
for  the  house  and  look  around  for  me. 
Signal  if  you  can  withot  being  detected. 
If  you  receive  no  answer  from  me  set  fire 
to  the  place  and  make  for  the  Dragon 
Fly  with  all  your  might." 

"  I  guess  there  is  no  need  of  us  going 
out  of  our  way,"  replied  Arthur,  looking 


3 


.HARRY  ANI>  ARTIE. 


back.     "The    fellow,    whoever   he   is,    is 
right  behind  us." 

It  was  now  so  dark  that  they  ran  no  risk 
of  being  discovered  in  consequence  of 
their  uniforms,  so  they  walked  along 
without  changing  their  pace  till  the 
stranger  was  in  a  few  feet  of  then). 

Both  turned  around.  Just  then  ahead 
of  light  was  cast  into  their  faces,  com- 
pletely dazzling  them  for  a  few  seconds, 
while  a  voice  rang  out: 

'•Yanks!  Dogon  me!"  and  a  revolver 
cracked  and  a  bullet  whistled  past  Ar- 
thur's ear. 

Arthur  was  the  first  to  recover  himself, 
and  he  sprung  toward  their  assailant; 
but  the  stream  of  light  instantly  disap- 
peared as  if  no  such  thing  had  ever  been 
there,  and  the  rapid  footsteps  of  the  dis- 
turber were  heard  retreating. 

"After  him!"  cried  Harry,  who  recov- 
ered his  presence  of  mind  almost  at  the 
same  time  as  Harry.  They  rushed  after 
the  retreating  footsteps  but  had  not  gone 
far  till  Harry,  suddenly  stopping,  said, 
"listen!" 

Not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness. 

"  It  is  no  use  to  follow  the  scoundrel," 
he  said.  "We  don't  know  where  we  are 
going  in  the  dark  and  he  can  shoot  us 
down  if  he  catches  a  glimpse  of  us  with- 
out danger  to  himself.  We  must  get 
out  of  this.     Come  on!" 

They  quickly  retraced  their  steps. 

"We  must  go  forward  as  fast  as  we 
can,"  said  Arthur.  "  That  fellow  may 
belong  to  the  gang  and  will  give  the 
alarm  if  he  does.  We  must  beat  him 
there.'' 

They  started  forward  on  a  rapid  dog1 
trot. 

All  was  quiet  since  the  late  disturbance, 
and  they  proceeded  rapidly  until  they 
reached  the  spot,  about  two  miles  from 
the  house,  where  the  party  from  the  gun- 
boat had  stopped  to  consult  the  night 
before.  Here  Harry,  who  was  in  the 
lead,  stopped  abruptly. 

"  We  must  separate  here,"  he  said.  "I 
will  go  on  up  to  the  house  and  set  fire  to 
it  if  I  can.  You  wait  here  until  you  see 
the  smoke  or  the  flame;  but  if  they  don't 
appear  inside  of  twenty  minutes  or  half 
an  hour  you  work  you  way  up  and  see 
what  you  can  do.     Ciood-by."  ' 

In  a  moment  Harry  had  disappeared 
in  the  darkness. 

"  1  guess  I  may  as  well  look  around  a 
little  now  that  I'm  left  behind,  and — by 
gracious!    What's  that?" 

Arthur  ended  his  soliloquy  rather  ab- 
ruptly. 

A  ball  of  light  was  shining  through  the 
trees  probably  two  hundred  yards  back 
in  the  direction  from  which  they  had 
cine. 


Arthur  pullet?  out  his  revolve  and 
stepped  behind  a  tree,  keeping  ms  eyes 
on  the  light,  which  was  rapidly  approach- 
ing.    Suddenly  it  disappeared. 

"  Ha!"  thought  Arthur  to  himself. 
"It's  the  very  fellow  that  ran  into  us 
about  an  hour  ago,  a.nd  he's  making  For 
the  house  to  tell  what  he's  seen.  We 
beat  him  by  a  few  minutes.  I  must  stop 
him  by  all  means." 

He  shifted  his  position  about  ten  feet, 
and  was  hardly  well  behind  a  tree  again 
when  the  light  shone  forth  not  twenty 
feet  from  him,  and  disclosed  the  guerilla 
coining  toward  him  on  a  loping  trot. 
His  course  would  take  him  close  by  Ar- 
thur's tree. 

Our  young  hero  had  not  long  to  wait 
to  put  his  plan  into  execution,  and  just 
as  the  man  came  to  the  tree  Arthur 
threw  out  his  leg  and  the  guerilla  was 
dashed  violently  to  the  ground,  and  the 
sharp  crack  told  that  one  of  his  pistols 
had  been  discharged  by  the  shock. 

The  dark  lantern  flew  from  his  hand, 
and  after  making  two  or  three  somersaults 
came  to  a  stand-still  some  ten  feet  away, 
unharmed  and  still  burning. 

Arthur  sprung  upon  the  prostrate 
guerilla  the  instant  he  reached  the 
ground,  and  placing  the  muzzle  of  his 
revolver  at  the  other's  head  cried:  "  ISfot 
a  word  above  your  breath." 

His  antagonist,  far  from  being  injured 
by  his  fall,  suddenly  wheeled  around,  and 
in  a  twinkling  Arthur's  revolver  was 
spinning  through  the  air,  knocked  from 
his  hand  by  a  well-directed  blow. 

The  guerilla  now  began  to  struggle  so 
actively  that  Arthur  needed  all  his 
strength  and  agility  to  retain  his  posi- 
tion on  top  of  him. 

The  guerilla  was  tall  and  slim  but  ex- 
tremely supple  and  powerful,  and  the  way 
he  thrashed  about  made  Arthur  almost 
despair  of  bringing  him  to  terms. 

He  half  rose  to  his  knees,  but  Arthur 
clung  to  him  like  a  burr  and  bore  him 
down  again,  at  the  same  time  catching 
him  by  the  throat.' 

The  guerilla,  realizing  the  danger  of 
such  a  hold,  made  a  superhuman  effort, 
and  putting  up  both  his  hands  fairly 
wrenched  the  hand  from  his  throat.  By 
doing  so,  however,  he  released  Arthur's 
left  hand  and  received  a  stunning  left- 
hander right  from  the  shoulder,  which 
laid  him  out,  limp  as  a  wet  cloth. 

Voices  near  by  made  Arthur  look  up, 
just  as  he  was  completing  his  conquest. 

The  sight  appalled  him. 

The  whole  of  the  sparsely  grown  wood 
was  alive  with  lanterns  all  moving  rapid- 
ly toward  him. 

He  sprung  up  to  extinguish  the  tell- 
tale lantern,  but   before  he  couiu  accoiv 


HAftriiT  AND  ARTIE. 


plish  it  the  guerilla,   who  was  only  par-  j 

tiuily  stunned,  raised  himself  on   his  el 
bow  and  made   the   woods   re-echo  with 
his  vigorous  yells. 

Arthur  gave  one  look  for  an  avenue  of 
escape  and  then  bounded  on,  snatching 
up  the  lantern  and  shutting  off  the  light 
its  he  went. 

He  had  not  gone  one  hundred  feet 
when  he  saw  approaching  three  "lan- 
terns. 

Turning  to  the  left  he  ran  on  some 
distance  further,  when  on  reaching  the 
edge  of  a  little  brook  he  ran  violently 
against  a  guerilla  who  had  been  peering 
into  the  bushes  on  the  other  side. 

Arthur's  forehead  struck  the  back  of 
the  guerilla's,  head  and  both  fell  into  the 
brook,  the  guerilla  at  full  length  and 
Arthur  up  to  his  knees. 

He  quickly  waded  out  and  glanced  ap- 
prehensively around,  lor  the  ducked  Con- 
federate had  given  an  unearthly  yell. 
either  from  fright  or  as  a  warning,  as  he 
went  in. 

Lights  were  still  seen  here  and  there 
through  the  trees,  though  at  greater  dis- 
tances than  before,  and  he  was  in  great 
danger  of  being  captured  if  he  remained 
longer  in  that  locality. 

However,  he  had  completely  lost  his 
reckoning,  as  he  had  dodged  and  darted 
about  in  so  many  different  directions  in 
his  flight  that  he  could  not  tell  one  point 
of  the  compass  from  another.  He  was  in 
great  perplexity,  as  he  did.not  know  what 
to  do. 

Arthur  was  walking  rapidly  while 
thinking,  and  his  surprise  was  great, 
on  suddenly  emerging  from  the  trees, 
to  find  himself  before  the  big,  gloomy 
house  that  answered  for  the  rendezvous 
of  the  Confederate  gang. 

They  had  chosen  with  rare  judgment 
this  mansion  as  their  headquarters.  A 
good  distance  from  the  river  and  well  out 
of  reach  of  the  batteries  of  the  vessels, 
in  a  thinly-settled  country,  and  the 
forest,  so  thin  and  sparse  in  its  entire  ex- 
tent, was  so  much  more  grown  immedi- 
ately around  the  house  that  a  person 
passing  within  one  hundred  yards  of  it 
would  not  have  been  aware  of  its  exist- 
ence— all  these  conditions  combined  to 
make  the  place  safe  and  secure  for  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  then  used. 

As  Arthur  stood  gazing  at  the  house 
his  reflections  were  suddenly  interrupted 
by  the  returning  party  of  guerillas. 

They  were  advancing  in  such  a  manner 
that  made  his  detection  sure  unless  he 
went  straight  forward.  He  quickly 
crossed  the  yard,  and  came  close  to  the 
foundation  of  the  house. 

He  learned  then  what  he  did  not  know 
before,    that,    the   first   floor   was  raised 


some  eiyht  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
that  there  was  a  wide  stone  archway 
leading  to  the  basement  and  cellar,  which 
was  secured  by  two  light  iron  doors. 

Hastily  stepping  up  to  the  door  of  the 
cellar  he  laid  hold  of  the  iron  handle,  and 
to  his  great  joy  't  yielded,  disclosing  a 
gentle  declivity,  which  he  at  once  de- 
scended, closing  the  door  after  him.  He 
proceeded  slowly  and  carefully,  for  the 
place  was  opaquely  dark.  Suddenly  he 
stopped,  and  his  heart  almost  leaped 
into  his  mouth — somebody  else  was  in 
the  cellar. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ARTHUR   CAUGHT. 

"When  Harry  left  Arthur  he  walked 
rapidly,  but  silently,  toward  the  house, 
keeping  a  bright  lookout  for  prowling 
guerillas. 

He  had  proceeded  but  a  little  way 
when  he  was  startled  by  the  report  of  a 
pistol. 

"That  sounds  as  if  it  might  come  from 
Arthur,"  he  thought,  in  alarm.  "He 
couldn't  have  gotten  into  trouble  any 
sooner  if  he  had  tried." 

His  attention  was  now  drawn  to  his 
immediate  front. 

Shouts  were  heard,  and  lights  came 
rapidly  toward  him,  as  if  the  inmates  of 
the  house  were  alarmed  by  the  shot  and 
were  approaching  to  investigate. 

There  seemed  to  be  about  twenty  Ian-  , 
terns,    but   when    they  came  nearer  he 
noticed  that  many  of  the  men  had   none 
at  all. 

He  made  a  detour  to  avoid  running 
into  the  party,  and  watched  them  go  by 
at  a  safe  distance. 

"  I  wish  I  knew  whether  Artie  fired 
that  shot,"  he  muttered  to  himself,  im- 
patiently; "if  he  did,  he  didn't  do  it  for 
nothing,  and  he  knows  how  to.  take  care 
of  himself." 

The  last  of  the  guerillas  just  here 
passed  by,  and  Harry  was  struck  with  his 
appearance. 

He  was  a  short,  stout  man,  with  a 
heavy  beard,  the  imperfect  light  shed  by 
the  lantern  he  held  did  not  give  Harry 
the  opportunity  to  note  its  color. 

This  worthy  was  attired  in  a  dingy  and 
faded  uniform  of  a.  captain  of  the  Con- 
federacy, and  Harry  at  once  put  him 
down  for  Captain  Henry,  about  whose 
courage  and  active  partisanship  he  had 
heard  so  much. 

"It  would  give  me  a  promotion,"  he 
thought,  "if  I  could  take  that  fellow, 
aboard  the  Dragon  Fly  a  prisoner  of 
war." 

As  the  Con  federate  captain  disappeared 


10 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


Harry  turned  his  attention  to  the  object 
of  his  expedition. 

"It  is  just  the  time  to  do  my  work/' he 
thought,  '"  while  so  many  of  the  gang  are 
away." 

He  hurried  forward,  and  arriving  at 
the  edge  of  the  woods  he  stopped  to  re- 
eonnoiter. 

The  house  stood  silent  and  gloomy, 
while  here  and  there  a  light  appeared 
through  the  half-closed  shutters  of  the 
first  floor;  the  upper  story  was  closed 
tight. 

As  Harry  was  about  to  step  forward 
his  eye  alighted  on  two  men  standing  be- 
fore a  large  iron  door,  flanked  on  either 
side  by  a  stone  wall,  slanting  from  the 
top  of  the  foundations  to  the  ground,  the 
incline  reaching  the  ground  at  a  point 
about  twelve  feet  from  the  foundation. 

The  iron  door  was  open,  and  Harry, 
who  was  standing  directly  before  it  about 
fifty  feet  away,  saw  a  lighted  lantern 
swinging  from  the  ceiling  inside. 

The  men  were  conversing  in  low  tones, 
and  to  Harry,  who  could  not  hear  what 
was  said,  it  was  plain  that  he  would  have 
to  approach  the  house  from  another 
quarter. 

He  drew  back  among  the  trees,  and 
made  a  circuit  of  the  house  without  find- 
ing a  place  to  suit  his  purpose,  and  when 
again  he  came  in  front  of  the  iron  door 
the  two  men  had  disappeared. 

Quickly  approaching  he  slipped  behind 
one  of  the  stone  flanks  of  the  doorway, 
and  leaning  over  peered  into  the  cellar. 

The  light  which  hung  from  the  ceiling 
had  also  disappeared,  and  everything 
appeared  to  be  wrapped  in  repose. 

He  was  deliberating  on  his  next  move 
when  lie  was  startled  by  the  sound  of 
voices  behind  him. 

Turning  hastily  he  saw  two  men  just 
step  around  the  corner  of  the  house,  and 
approach  the  cellar  door. 

Both  were  talking  earnestly,  and  they 
seemed  highly  excited  about  something, 
consequently  they  did  not  see  our  hero 
step  quickly  over  the  wall  and  go. into 
the  cellar. 

"Whew!11  said  Harry  to  himself,  "it's 
lucky  for  me  this  cellar  was  here."' 

Taking  his  stand  close  to  the  iron  doors 
he  awaited  developments. 

The  men  came  to  the  cellarway,  and 
seemed  disposed  at  first  to  go  in,  but 
changed  their  minds  and  remained  out- 
side, where  the  following  conversation 
took  place: 

"  I  tell  you,  Pete,  I  don't  b'lieve  it,  no- 
how.*1 

"I  do,"  answered  Pete.  "Jake  ain't 
no  liar." 

"But  vvhar's  the  other  feller,  then? 
Jake  said  they   was    two    on    'em.     He 


wasn't  like  to  tote  off  afore  the  boys  went 
out,  an'  they  only  seed  one." 

"Hovv'd  you  know  that?"  asked  the 
other. 

""Cause  Hen  Bullit  jes  came  in  fer 
more  lanterns  and  tole  it  all.  He  was 
afeard  o'  gettin'  his  head  broke,  as  sure 
as  my  name's  Jack  Cobb,"  continued  the 
man,  "but  I  give  him  as  many  as  he  could 
kerry,  and  he  went  off." 

"An'  Hen  said  the  young  Yank  wal- 
loped Jake?"  asked  Pete,  with  interest, 

"  Yaas,  an1  the  big  dunder-head  ain't 
done  seeing  stars  yet." 

As  may  be  imagined,  Harry  listened  to 
this  conversation  with  the  greatest  in- 
terest, and  it  partly  explained  the  cause 
of  the  pistol-shot,  which  had  alarmed 
him  earlier  in  the  evening,  but  he  still 
was  in  ignorance  of  what  he  wished  par- 
ticularly to  know — whether  Arthur  was 
still  at  large. 

The  conversation  without  was  here  re- 
newed, and  Harry  again  bent  himself  to 
listen. 

"What  do  you  .s'pose  one  Yank  was 
doin'  in  tJiese  yere  woods?"  asked  Pete. 

"  We'll  find  that  out  when  we  ketch 
him,"  answered  Jack. 

Just  then  a  voice  was  heard  calling: 
"Jack!  Jack!  Jack!" 

"  Gilbert's  callin'  you,"  observed  Pete. 

"I'd  ha'  bin  thar  long  'go,"  grumbled 
Jack,  "  if  the  horses  hadn't  a'  bin  out," 
and  stepping  into  the  cellarway  he 
pushed  the  doors  shut. 

Harry  drew  a  long  breath  as  he  beard 
their  footsteps  dying  away,  and  then 
moving  from  the  door  he  began  to  make 
his  way  through  the  interior  of  the  cellar. 

He  feared  to  strike  a  match,  not  know- 
ing how  many  guerillas  might  be  dis- 
closed by  its  light. 

He  knew  that  as  long  as  the  night  lasted 
he  might  pass  as  one  of  the  band,  should 
he  unexpectedly  meet  any  of  them. 

"  Well,  1  must  have  a  little  light  to  see 
what  I  am  about,  so — what's  that?" 

He  stopped  suddenly,  as  the  cellar- 
doors  opened,  and  a  form  appeared  an 
instant  in  bold  relief  against  the  sky,  and 
stepped  inside,  while  the  doors  swung 
gently  to  again. 

For  a  minute  Harry  stood  spell-bound. 
He  certainly  knew  that  form,  and  was 
sure  he  had  made  no  mistake  on  account 
of  the  imperfect  light  that  came  through 
the  open  doorway. 

"  That  certainly  was  Arthu-,"  he  said 
to  himself,  as  soon  as  he  recovered"  from 
his  surprise;  "but  how  did  he  get  here  I 
would  like  to  know?" 

He  deliberated  a  moment  as  to  how  he 
could  satisfy  himself  of  the  truth,  for  no* 
the  slightest  sound  came  from  the  iu 
t  ruder. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


]1 


He    started    to  approach   the   quarter 

where  lie  thought  Arthur  stood,    when 

his  foot  struck  something  lying  loose  on 

'the  floor,  which  made  a   harsh,   grating 

noise. 

He  stopped  in  alarm,  thinking  of  the 
consequences  of  his  act  if  the  intruder 
were  not  his  friend. 

He  wa#  not  given  time  for  much 
thought,  however,  for  the  doors  opened 
Iftgaiu,  and  another  figure  entered. 

He  walked  about  a.  few  minutes,  in  a 
maniior  which  led  Harry  to  think  he  knew 
the  place  thoroughly. 

To  his  great  chagrin  Harry  heard  him 
pick  up  a  lantern,  and  prepare  to  light  it. 
This  was  sure  to  lead  to  discovery,  and 
Harry  was  by  no  means  ready  for  this. 

So  drawing  his  revolver  he  prepared  to 
control  matters,  if  possible. 

A  pale  blue  speck,  which  gradually  in- 
creased to  a.  bright  flame,  disclosed  to 
Harry's  eyes  the  guerilla  Kneeling  before 
a  lantern,  and  in  the  act  of  applying  the 
flame  to  the  wick. 

So  full  of  the  purpose  of  silencing  him 
Harry  had  forgotten  the  presence  of  the 
first  comer,  and  revolver  in  hand  he 
stood  within  a  few  feet  of  the  last  in- 
truder. 

When  the  latter  arose  to  his  feet  he 
felt  the  cold  muzzle  of  a  revolver  against 
his  temple,  and  a  voice  said  in  his  ear: 
"Silence  or  you  die.''1 

"  That's  what  I  say,"  chimed  in  another 
voice,  and  Arthur  stepped  up,  brandish- 
ing a  revolver,  and  repeated  the  words. 

"Give  me  that  lantern. "ordered  Harry, 
who  had  no  time  for  greetings.  "Unarm 
him,  Artie:1' 

While  Harry  held  the  lantern  Arthur 
went  quickly  through  the  man's  pockets, 
and  brought  to  light  a  revolver  and  a 
clasp-knife. 

"That  replaces  mine  that  I  lost  to- 
night," said  Arthur,  placing  the  revolver 
in  his  pojket.  "Now,  Harry,  what  do 
yon  want  to  do  with  this  fellow?" 

"Tie  him  up  first,"  replied  Harry. 

While  Harry   kept   him   covered   with 

his  revolver  Arthur   looked   around   and 

found  a  strap,  with  Which  the  hands  and 

,  feet  of  t  he  Confederate  were  securely  tied. 

"  Find  a  place  to  put  him,"  continued 
Harry. 

Picking  up  his  lantern  Arthur  held  it 
aloft  to  survey  the  surroundings. 

The  room  in  which  they  were  seemed 
to  be  used  as  a  stable  and  harness-room. 
The  walls  were  hung  with  saddles, 
bridles,  whips,  and  sabers,  while  along 
mie  end  of  the  room  was  a  tier  of  stalls. 
A  number  of  doors  led  out  of  the  room  in 
different  directions. 

Arthur  proceeded  to  the  stalls  and 
found  all  empty. 


"Take  him  back  there,"  he  said  to 
Harry,  when  he  returned. 

With  one  at  his  head  and  another  at 
his  feet  the  guerilla  was  quickly  placed 
on  his  back  in  one  of  the  stalls. 

"Now,"  said  Hairy  to  him,  "  we  want 
our  questions  answered,  and,"  flourishing 
his  revolver  in  his  enemy's  face,  "  we 
won't  hesitate  to  use  these  things,  if  you 
don't  tell  the  truth.     What's  your  name?" 

"Jack  Cobb." 

"All  right,  Mr.  Cobb;  we  won't  do  you 
any  harm,  as  long  as  you  do  as  we  "tell 
you.  What's  your  business  about  this 
shanty?" 

"  I'm  stable,  boss,"  replied  Jack. 

"  Where's  the  stable?"  asked  Harry.       u 

"  You're  in't  now,"  answered  the  other. 

"What  did  you  come  here  for  just 
now?"  Harry  went  on. 

"None  o'  yer  business." 

"Be careful," admonished  Harry,  press- 
ing his  revolver  against  the  guerilla's 
head.     "Answer  my  question.'1 

"  I  come  to  light  the  lantern." 

"Once  more,"  said  Harr5r,  sternly,  and 
the  ominous  click  told  Jack  he  had  gone 
too  far. 

"The  cap  sent  me  here,"  he  began, 
hastily,  frightened  at  his  temerity,  "to 
find  out  how  many  saddles  and  bridies  is 
here." 

"  What  did  he  want  to  know  for?"  con- 
tinued Harry. 

"  He's  goin'  on  an1  expedition,"  replied 
Jack. 

"  AVhat  will  he  do  when  he  finds  you 
don't  come  back?" 

"Send  somebody  else  to  find  out,  I 
s'pose." 

"Where  are  the  horses  that  belong 
here?"  asked  Harry,  after  a  moment's 
thought. 

"  Hid  in  the  woods,  'bout  half  a  mile 
away." 

"  What  are  they  doing  there?" 

"  The  cap's  goin'  to  use  'em  to-night." 

"  How  many  of  them  are  there?" 

"  Three." 

"  Good  ones?" 

"The  best  in  thecountry.  Say,  Yank," 
Jack  continued,  "I  bin  answerin'  your 
questions,  now  answer  one  of  mine-. 
What  are  vou  keepin'  me  down  this  way 
fer?     Hey?"      * 

"Never  mind  that  just  now.  How 
manv  men  are  there  up-stairs?" 

"'Bout  thirty." 

"Is  there  any  dry  wood  and  shavings 
in  this  cellar?"  demanded  Hairy,  ab- 
ruptly. 

Jack  seemed  astonished  at  the  question. 

"What  fer?"  he  asked,  when  he  re- 
covered himself. 

"  Never  mind,"  replied  Harry,  sharplv, 
"is  there?" 


12 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


''They  ain't  none  in  this  room,  but 
they  is  in  another  one.  over  there,  but  I 
can't  show  it  to  you,  'kase  you  got  me 
tied." 

''Cut  hi  in  loose,  Artie,"  said  Harry. 

Arthur  pulied  the  clasp-knife  from  his 
pocket,  and  flirting  the  strap  from  his 
feet  assisted  him  to  rise. 

"Remember,  now,"  said  Harry,  "we 
have  oar  revolvers  on  you,  and  it  will  be 
sure  death  to  you  if  you  lead  us  into  the 
hands  of  your  friends." 

Jack  earnestly  protested  that  none  of 
the  band  was  below  the  first  story. 

"Just  remember  that  we  have  the  drop 
on  yon,  and  you  know  what  is  best  for 
you,"  was  Harry's  reply. 

Jack  now  led  them  to  the  end  of  the 
stable,  which  was  opposite  the  door 
through  which  they  had  entered.  The 
door,  like  all  those  that  connected  differ- 
ent rooms  in  the  cellar,  was  of  iron  grat- 
ing, and  secured  by  a  spring  lock. 

"  Reach  up  on  the  sill  and  git  down  the 
key,"  said  Jack. 

Arthur  looked  up  and  noticed  a  small 
projecting  stone  ridge,  upon  which  he 
found  the  key. 

Inserting  it  in  the  lock  the  latch  opened, 
and  they  stepped  into  a  long  passage- 
way. 

After  going  some  twenty  feet  Harry 
stopped  abruptly,  and  said:  "Go  back 
and  get  a  lantern,  Artie.  We  can't  see  in 
this  place." 

Arthur  quickly  went  back  to  the  stable 
room,  and  was  about  to  pick  up  one  of 
the  lanterns,  when  the  outside  door  was 
kicked  open  and  three  guerillas  came 
in. 

They  stopped  an  instant  in  amazement, 
and  then,  with  an  ejaculation  of  surprise, 
rushed  upon  Arthur,  who  stood  lantern 
in  hand,  undecided  how  to  act. 

As  the  guerillas  came  upon  him  he 
dropped  the  lantern  just  as  the  foremost 
laid  hold  of  him. 

With  one  of  his  lightning  blows  Arthur 
stretched  tin's  man  on  the  floor,  while 
the  other  two  came  upon  him  at  the  same 
instant. 

Another  right-hander,  similar  to  the 
first,  dropped  the  second  man,  but  the 
third  now  presented  his  pistol  on  one 
side,  and  the  first,  who  had  picked  him- 
self off  the  floor,  presented  one  on  the 
other. 

With  a  loaded  pistol  looking  into  each 
eye  Arthur  knew  that  he  was  worsted, 
BO  he  submitted  without  any  trouble. 

"Now,  my  young  high-stepper,  I 
reckon  we  got  you  safe  now,"  said  one, 
as  be  finished  binding  Arthur's  hands 
behind  his  back. 

"Come  alone:,  now,"  said  one.  "I'm 
mighty  sure  the  cap'n  'd  like  to  see  you," 


and  Arthur  was  hurried  out  into  the 
open  air  again. 

They  took  him  around  the  house  and 
walked  directly  toward  a  flight  of  broad* 
stone  steps  which  seemed  to  Arthur  to 
lead  into  the  front  hall. 

His  conjecture  proved  true,  for  his 
captors  went  quickly  up  the  steps  and 
kicked  open  the  magnificent  oak  doors 
and  entered  a  wide  hall. 

"These  fellows  have  driven  a  Unionist 
family  from  their  house  and  taken  pos- 
session of  it,"  was  Arthur's  first  thought 
after  entering,  but  his  attention  was 
quickly  drawn  to  his  own  more  pressing 
affairs. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

BEFORE  THE  GUERILLA  CAPTAIN. 

His  captors  led  him  down  the  hall  di- 
rectly to  the  door  that  opened  at  the 
other  end. 

Throwing  open  this  door  they  stepped 
into  a  room  that  was  nearly  full  of  men — 
those  who  had  not  long  since  returned 
from  their  unsuccessful  search  for  Ar- 
thur. 

The  entrance  of  the  two  guerillas  and 
their  captive  created  the  greatest  sensa- 
tion. They  crowded  around  asking  and 
shouting  questions,  with  exclamations 
indicative  of  the  greatest  astonishment. 

"  Whar'd  vou  ketch  'im?" 

"  Who  ketched  the  Yank." 

These  questions  were  propounded  by 
nearly  everybody  in  the  room,  making 
the  babel  of  voices  almost  deafening. 

This  lasted  only  a  moment  when  a 
hoarse  voice  was  heard  shouting: 

"  What's  ail  this  row  about?  Less 
noise!" 

A  score  of  voices  replied: 

"The  Yank's  ketched,  cap'n." 

The  mob  fell  apart  to  allow  the  captors 
to  bring  the  prisoner  to  their  chief. 

Making  their  way  through  the  crowd 
with  Arthur  still  between  them,  they 
presently  stood  before  a  short,  heavily- 
built  man,  with  a  bushy  black  beard. 

He  bent  a  sharp  glance  on  Arthur  and 
demanded  his  captors  to  make  their  re- 
port. 

"  We  found  this  Yank  in  the  stable, 
cap'n."  began  one. 

The  captain  started. 

"  Where?"  he  demanded. 

"  In  the  stable,"  repeated  he  who  had 
spoken.  "  An'  here's  Pete  Bink  an'  Tern 
Burk  as  was  with  me  w'en  I  found  him.  ' 

'"  (to  on,"  said  the  captain. 

"  He  was  standin'in  the  middle  o'  tfr  > 
floor  w'en  we  went  in  an'  we  jus'  lit  om 
him  an'  brought  him  up  here.  That'll 
1  know  about  it,"  concluded  the  eprffc**- 
man. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


J  I 


"What's  the  matter  with  your  fore- 
head?' asked  the  captain.  "Did  you  run 
Against  the  wail?" 

The  guerilla  looked  slowly  around  the 
circle  of  interested  listeners  and  then  at 
Arthur,  before  replying. 

"The  Yank  gimme  a  knock,"  he  said, 
doggedly. 

Serious  as  his  position  was.  Arthur 
could  not  refrain  from  joining  in  the 
laugh  at  his  captor's  expense. 

"Oh,  it  ain't  me  alone,"  said  the  guer- 
illa, nettled  at  The  mirth  of  his  friends. 
"  Lcok  at  Pete  Bink." 

The  gaze  of  the  gang  was  instantly  di- 
rected toward  Pete,  whose  one  eye  was 
almost  closed  by  the  blow  Arthur  had 
given  him  in  the  scuffle  in  the  stable. 

Pete  was  made  the  butt  of  innumer- 
able jests  on  account  of  the  black  ap- 
pearance of  his  eye. 

"Did  yer  rub  charcoal  in  yer  eye, 
Pete?"  asked  one. 

"  No,  he  run  agin  the  cellar  wall,"  said 
another. 

They  kept  on  in  this  way  till  the  chief 
suddenly  ordered  silence. 

Turning  to  Arthur,  who  had  been 
standing  perfectly  quiet  all  the  while,  he 
said: 

"Young  man,  how  did  you  come  to  be 
in  our  cellar?" 

"I  walked  in  the  door,"  replied  Ar- 
thur. 

"Why  did  you  go  in?"  asked  the  guer- 
illa chief. 

"Because  I  wanted  to  escape  your 
band,"  replied  Arthur. 

"Were  you  the  Yankee  soldier  or  scout 
or  spy  what  raised  an  alarm  in  the  woods 
near  here  a  short  time  ago?" 

"  I  guess  I'm  the  one  you  mean,  though 
I'm  no  spy." 

"Ah!"  said  the  captain.  "  What  were 
you  doing  about  here,  then?" 

"  I  wasn't  doing  anything.  I  was  walk- 
ing along  peacefully  when  one  of — 1  sup- 
pose— your  men  came  along  and " 

Arthur  was  going  to  say  "molested 
me,"  when  he  remembered  it  was  he  that 
stopped  the  guerilla  and  not  the  guerilla 
who  had  stopped  him. 

The  guerilla  chief  finished  the  sentence 
for  him. 

"Yes,'1  he  said,  "you  were  walking 
along  peacefully  until  he  came  along. 
Then  you  saw  fit  to  try  and  knock  his 
brains  out.  What  was  your  business  in 
this  placev" 

"  I  have  business  in  this  place  or  rather 
in  this  neighborhood,"  replied  Arthur, 
"  but  I  refuse  to  divulge  the  nature  of 
it." 

'In  that  case  I  must  consider  you  as  a 
TC'.'/on  spy  and  act  acordingly,"  and  rais- 
ing his  voice  the  captain  called  two  men 


"Take  the  prisoner  up-stairs  and  see 
that  he  is  placed  in  a  secure  apartment." 

"This  is  getting  rather  unpleasant," 
thought  Arthur,,  as  he  was  taken  from 
the  room.  "One  good  thing  is."  he  con- 
tinued to  himself,  "that  Harry  is  still 
loose  and  has  that  guerilla  to  guide  him 
around  so  he  may  get  upstairs  and  get 
me  loose,  too.  1  hope  he  won't  set  the 
house  on  fire  with  me  in  it,  tied." 

They  went  into  the  wide  hall,  and  as- 
cending the  broad  stair-case  went  into 
a  room  on  the  seuond  floor. 

By  the  light  of  a  lantern  which  one  of 
the  guerillas  carried.  Arthur  noticed  that 
he  was  in  a  very  large  room  totallv  de- 
void of  furniture.  At  the  high  windows 
hung  torn  and  tattered  lace  curtains 
which  looked  as  if  their  appearance  was 
due  more  to  hard  usage  than  to  age.  It- 
was  altogether  a  gloomy-looking  room 
and  the  guerillas  seemed"  to  be  anxious 
to  get  through  their  work  quickly. 

One  of  them  ordered  Arthur  to  lie 
down,  and  taking  a  rope  from  his  pocket 
tied  i  t  secu rely  round  his  an k les,  and  pick- 
ing  up  the  lantern  they  left  the  room, 
locking  the  door  after  them. 

Arthur  tossed  about  on  the  hard  floor 
for  some  time  after  they  left,  and  finally, 
fatigued  with  the  long  walk  from  the 
river  and  by  the  exciting  scenes  through 
which  he  had  passed,  he  dropped  into  an 
uneasy  slumber. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

ALMOST     TRAPPED. 

When  Harry  sent  Arthur  for  a  lantern 
while  he  waited  in  the  passage-way,  he 
thought  his  work  nearly  accomplished. 
He  had  figured  out  a  plan  which  in  sub- 
stance was  this:  He  would  immediately 
set  fire  to  the  house  by  starting  the  shav- 
ings in  the  room  of  which  Jack,  the 
guerilla  teamster,  had  spoken;  then  com- 
pelling him  to  show  them  the  way,  they 
would  go  and  seize  Captain  Henry's 
horses,  all  of  which  he  calculated  they 
could  do  by  the  time  the  fire  had  alarmed 
the  inmates  of  the  house. 

When  once  they  were  seated  on  the 
captain's  horses  he  was  sure,  from  Jack's 
description  of  them,  that  he  need  be 
afraid  of  no  pursuit. 

All  this  passed  rapidly  through  his 
mind  as  Arthur  left  him  to  procure  a 
lantern,  and  when  he  heard  the  voices 
and  the  scuffle  he  knew  that  Arthur  had 
been  discovered. 

His  own  revolver  kept  Jack  in  subjec- 
tion, but  he  waited  apprehensively  to 
see  if  Arthur's  captors  made  any  investi- 
gation of  the  cellar,  but  he  was  so  close 
he  heard  them  declare  their  intea&w>   ,t 


14 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


taking  their  captive  before  their  superior 
at  once. 

Their  footsteps  dying  away  almost 
immediately  assured  him  that  nothing 
was  to  be  feared  from  that  source. 

"I  must  have  a  lantern,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, "or  I  can't  get  along." 

Catching  Jack  by  the  arm  he  hurried 
him  back  to  the  stable. 

••  I  want  a  lantern;  not  the  one  on  the 
floor,  but  another  one,"  lie  said.  "Quickly, 
where  ran  i  get  it?" 

"They  ain't  none  here,"  replied  Jack. 
"  They  was  all  took  to  hunt  in  the  woods 
feryer  brother." 

"I  have  to  take  this  one,  then,"  said 
Harry. 

He  was  about  to  pick  up  the  one  on 
the  floor,  when  he  saw  to  his  delight  the 
dark  lantern  that  Arthur  had  brought. 

"Lead  the  way."  he  said,  hastily  pick- 
ing it  up,  "and  be  quick  about  it.  ' 

They  started  out  into  the  passage-way 
again,  and  in  a  few  moments  were  stand- 
ing before  the  door  that  they  had  started 
to  come  to  before. 

Above  the  edge  was  the  key,  and  open- 
ing the  door  Harry  stepped  back,  mak- 
ing Jack  enter  first. 

Harry  locked  the  door  after  him  and 
was  startled  almost  immediately  by 
hearing  the  shuffling  of  feet  and  voices 
-on  the  floor  above. 

He  instantly  stepped  up  to  Jack,  and 
putting  his  revolver  against  his  temple, 
said:  "I  told  you  I  would  shoot  you 
down  and  I  meant  it— if  you  lead  me  into 
trouble." 

This  room  was  below  the  room  in 
which  the  guerillas  were  congregated 
when  Arthur  was  brought  in  a  prisoner, 
and  Harry  upon  elevating  his  lantern 
noticed  a  trap-door  in  the  floor  above, 
against  which  was  placed  a  ladder. 

"Them  fellers  don't  never  come  down 
here,"  said  Jack,  sullenly.  "An'  you 
wanted  me  to  show  you  the  shavin's." 

In  one  corner  was  a  huge  pile  of  wood 
and  small  shavings,  though  they  looked 
as  if  they  had  not  been  disturbed  in 
years. 

"  How  do  those  shavings  happen  to 
be  here?"  asked  Harry. 

"  Don't  know,"  answered  the  guerilla. 
"  They  bin  here  as  long  as  I  have." 

This  was  rather  indefinite,  seeing 
Harry  knew  as  little  about  the  shavings 
as  about  Jack,  but  he  was  not  interested 
in  them  except  inasmuch  as  they  an- 
swered his  purpose. 

11,"  busied  himself  with  pulling  to- 
gether a  large  pile  of  them.  When  this 
was  done  he  stepped  back  and  surveyed 
them  approvingly. 

Then  he  quickly  placed  the  small  wood 
on  top  of  it,  after  which  he  carefully  laid 


on  a  number  of  large  boards.  This 
raised  the  pile  to  the  height  of  about  six 
feet,  or  about  two  feet  less  than  that  of 
the  ceiling. 

When  this  was  finished  he  pulled  from 
his  pocket  his  wad  of  cotton  aud  bottle 
of  coal-oil.  and  pouring  the  whole  on  the 
cotton  he  placed  it  in  the  midst  of  the 
shavings  at  the  bottom  of  the  pile. 

"There."  he  said  to  himself,  "that 
ought  to  do  the  business. "' 

Jack  had  watched  the  whole  proceed- 
ing in  unspeakable  surprise. 

"What  in  tarnation  are  you  goin'  to 
do?"  he  demanded  again  and  again. 

Harry,  who  had  not  seen  lit  to  make 
him  any  reply,  now  turned  to  and  asked: 

"  Where  did  that  three  hundred  men 
come  from  that  were  here  last  night?" 

"The  cap'u  gethered  'em  in  the  ken- 
try,"  replied  the  guerilla. 

"  Is  there  any  other  place  where  they 
gather?"  continued  Harry. 

"  Not  as  I  knows  on." 

Whether  this  was  the  truth  Harry 
could  not  be  certain,  as  he  had  no  means 
of  ascertaining  whether  his  captive  was 
deceiving  him  or  not. 

The  guerilla  seemed  to  accept  his  situ- 
ation gracefully,  and  his  ready  answers 
gave  him  no  time  for  prevarication,  un- 
less he  was  very  expert  in  that  accom- 
plishment. 

"Now,  I  tell  you  what  I  want  you  to  do," 
said  Harry,  abruptly  changing  the  sub- 
ject. "I  want  you  to  take  me  up  stairs, 
and  help  me  to  liberate  that  young  fel- 
low that  came  here  with  me.  Will  you 
do  it?" 

"  I  can't,"  replied  Jack,  evasively. 

"  Well,  there  is  a  private  stair-way  in 
the  house  that  leads  all  the  way  to  the 
garret,  isn't  Vhere?" 

"It's  no  private  stair-way,  but  there  is 
one,''  answered  the  guerilla. 

"  Well,  take  me  to  it,  right  away." 

They  went  out  of  the  room,  locking  the 
door  after  them. 

They  had  not  gone  but  a  few  feet  when 
a  light  suddenly  appeared  at  the  other 
end  of  the  passage-way. 

One  of  the  guerillas  was  approaching 
with  a  lantern  in  his  hand. 

Harry  and  his  captive  were  just  at  a 
door  when  the  light  first  appeared,  and 
he  instantly  shut  off  his  lantern,  warning 
Jack  at  the  same  time  to  keep  silence. 

Hastily  reaching  up  above  the  door  he 
seized  the  key,  and  unlocking  the  door 
pushed  Jack  in,  while  he  himself  fol 
lowed. 

Just  as  the  door  closed  the  guerilla  in 
the  passage  called  out: 

Jack!  Jack!  where  ar  you?  You  lazy 
lubber.  I  sent  for  you  half  an  hovJc 
ago." 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


But  Jack  was  silent,  Harry's  ready  re- 
volver being;  again  called  into  play, 
while  he  looked  around  for  some  place  of 
concealment. 

The  doors  of  The  cellar,  as  has  before 
been  noted,  being  grated,  the  guerilla 
had  only  to  raise  his  lantern  and  hold  it 
against  the  bars  to  get  a  complete  view 
of  the  room,  except  the  small  space  along 
the  front  wall  on  each  side  of  the  door. 

•'  Who  is  that  out  there?1'  asked  Harry, 
in  a  whisper. 

"  It's  Gilbert,  I  guess,"  replied  Jack. 
"Who's  he?"  asked  Harry  again. 
"He's    the    captain's    leftenant,"    an- 
swered Jack. 

"  Wdl  he  look  in  the  rooms  as  he  goes 
ilong?" 
"  I  guess  so,"  was  the  cheering  response. 
"Well,  we  must  get  close  to  the  wall, 
and  keep  out  of  his  sight,  if  we  can,"  and 
they  shifted  their  positions  accordingly. 
Gilbert,  however,  did  not  search  much 
for  his  missing  man,  but  passed   by,    re- 
peating his  call  every  minute  or  so,    and 
muttering  to  himself  in  a  manner  that 
boded  ill  for  Jack. 

In  the  course  of  about  five  minutes  he 
returned  still  more  enraged  at  the  fruit- 
lessness  of  his  search. 

"  I'll  put  the  scoundrel  on  bread  and 
water  a  week  for  this,  an'  I'll  find  him 
to-night  if  he's  in  this  building  if  I  have 
to  send  every  man  that's  upstairs  down 
here,"  he  growled,  as  he  repassed  the 
room  in  which  the  two  were  concealed. 

As  his  footsteps  died  away  Harry  de- 
manded: 

"  How  will  he  get  up-stairs?  the  way 
we  go  up?" 

"Yes;  unless  he  goes  out  the  back  way 
and  up,"  answered  Jack;  "  but  that  ain't 
likely." 

"Well,  we  must  follow  him  right  away 
in  case  he  sends  somebody  down  here  to 
hunt  you  up.     Come  on." 

They  were  once  more  in  the  passage- 
way walking  rapidly. 

"We  turn  off  here,"  said  Jack,  ab- 
ruptly, stopping  where  another  passage 
intersected  the  one  in  which  they  were. 

"This  leads  to  the  stairs,  does  it?" 
asked  Harry. 

"Yes,"  answered  the  other,  and  they 
proceeded  down  the  new  passage-way. 

They  had  not  gone  far  when  they  were 

again  startled  by  footsteps  behind  them. 

Just  as   they   turned   another   guerilla 

came  into  view  in  the  passage  they  had 

just  left. 

He  stopped  short  on  seeing  our  hero 
and  his  captive,  and  after  giving  one 
stare  he  fled  from  the  spot  as  if  pursued 
by  demons,  while  the  bullet  sent  after 
him  by  Harry  whistled  harmlessly  past 
his  head. 


"Hurry  up,  now,"  said  Harry,  sharply, 
to  the  guerilla  hostler.  "That  fellow 
will  make  mischief  enough  for  me." 

Indeed,  the  other  guerilla  was  doing 
his  best  to  raise  the  occupants  of  the 
mansion.  He  kept  up  a  continuous  yell- 
ing and  pounding  which,  added  to  the 
noise  of  Harry's  shot,  made  racket 
enough  to  be  heard  far  and  wide. 

Meanwhile  Harry  had  pushed  Jack 
along  at  a  rapid  rate,  and  after  changing 
their  course  once  more  they  finally 
reached  a  small  door  of  iron  built  into 
the  wall. 

"Where's  the  key?  Quick!"  demanded 
Harry,  impatiently,  looking  back  every 
moment  to  see  if  their  pursuers  had  yet 
come  in  sight. 

"  Don't  need  no  key,"  answered  Ja'ck, 
who  now  began  to  show  obvious  signs  of 
unwillingness  to  act  as  guide  any  longer. 
"How  do  you  get  through,  then?"  de- 
manded Harry,  finally.  "Remember,  I 
stand  no  fooling,"  and  the  revolver  was 
again  raised. 

"They  is  a  spring  in  the  upper  corner. 
Put  yer  finder  on't  and  the  door  will 
slide,"  replied  Jack,  once  more  subdued. 
Harry  held  up  his  lantern  but  saw 
nothing  that  looked  like  a  spring,  and 
he  suspected  the  guerilla  was  deceiving 
him;  nevertheless  he  pressed  on  the 
corner  and  the  door  slid  back. 

Motioning  Jack  through  he  looked 
down  the  passage  again;  it  was  still 
empty,  but  the  shouts  and  footsteps  jtoid 
that  a  party  of  the  rebels  was  not  far 
distant  and  approaching  rapidly. 

"  How  far  does  this  door  shut?"  asked 
Harry,  observing  that  it  remained  open 
after  he  went  through. 

"Give  it  a  push  an'  it'll  slide  shut 
agin,"  replied  Jack,  starting  up  the  nar- 
row stair-way. 

After  proceeding  till  he  reached  about 
the  level  of  the  first  floor,  Harry  asked: 
"  Where  does  this  lead  to?" 
"Clear  up  to  the  garret." 
"  Are  there  no  doors  leading  from  it  on 
each  floor?" 
"No." 

"  Why  is  that?"  asked  Harry,  sur- 
prised. 

"Don't  know,"  was  Jack's  reply. 
He  seemed  to  know  but  little  of  the 
whys  and  wherefores  of  the  house,  if  he 
told  the  truth,  and  what  he  didn't  know 
he  seemed  content  to  remain  in  igno- 
rance of. 

"Well,  we'll  stop  here  a  few  minutes 
anyway,  till  those  fellows  have  time  to 
get  into  the  cellar." 

Jack  stopped,  and  as  he  did  so  mar- 
veled at  how  completely  he  was  in  the 
Yankee's  power.  It  is  true  his  hands 
were  bound,  but   then  he  had  always  Do 


16 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


lieved  like  the  larger  part  of  the  rebels 
that  one  of  their  soldiers  was  a  match  for 
at  least  two  Union  soldiers,  and  he 
awakened,  as  did  many  others,  to  the  error 
of  their  idea  before  they  fought  many 
iut>i:r hs  of  t lie  war. 

*'  Where  do  yon  confine  your  prisoners 
in  this  house?"  asked  Harry,  suddenly 
breaking  in  upon  his  reverie. 

"  Never  had  any  afore." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  Arthur  is?" 
asked  Harry,  impatiently. 

"  Maybe  in  the  cellar  or  on  the  first 
floor  or  on  the  second,"  replied  Jack. 

Harry,  in  disgust,  ordered  him  to  pro- 
ceed up  stairs,  thinking  he  could  use  his 
time  more  profitably  otherwise  than  in 
questioning  the  perverse  guerilla. 

The  stair  way  Seemed  very  long,  and  it 
6eemed  to  Harry  that  they  must  have 
come  very  much  higher  than  the  house 
could  possibly  be. 

At  last  they  stepped  under  a  trap-door, 
■which  upon  opening,  Harry  was  suprised 
to  find  himself  looking  out  upon  the  flat 
roof  of  the  house.  He  turned  fiercely  to 
the  guerilla,  and  demanded  why  he  had 
brought  him  here. 

"Wait  a  minit,"  replied  Jack,  coolly, 
and  stepping  out  upon  the  roof  he  di- 
rected his  steps  to  one  side  a  short  dis- 
tance. 

"  Here,"  he  said  to  Harry,  who  followed 
closely,  "is  the  trap  that  lets  down  into 
the  garret." 

"Is  it  safe  to  go  down  there?"  asked 
Harry. 

"They  ain't  anybody  there,  if  that's 
what  you  mean." 

"Go  ahead,  then,"  commanded  Harry. 

The  guerilla  stepped  carefully  upon 
the  ladder  which  served  the  trap  as  steps, 
and  with  Harry  following  closely,  they 
descetided  into  a  large  garret  un parti- 
tioned and  unfinished.  Jack,  without 
stopping,  led  the  way  to  the  other  end, 
and  lifting  another  trap-door  with  his 
feet  disclosed  another  small  stair-way. 

"That  leads  to  a  little  room  on  the 
second  floor,"  he  explained,  "an'  that 
opens  to  the  hall." 

"  All  right,"  said  Harry.     "  Go  ahead." 

Jack  started  down  the  stairs,  and  when 
they  reached  the  little  room  they  heard 
the  noise  of  the  search  which  was  being 
vigorously  prosecuted. 

Harry  went,  to  the  door  that  led  to  the 
hall  and  opening  it  a  crack  peered  out, 
and  then  turning  around  quickly  mo- 
tioned Jack  to  his  side.  "  Who's  .that?" 
he  whispered. 

Jack  peered  through  the  crack  and 
drew  back  nodding  his  head  expressive- 
ly, "That's  cap,"  he  said. 

It  was  the  same  short,  thick-set,  heavi- 
ly-bearded  man   that   Harry  had   seen  a 


couple  of  hours  before  in  the  woods,  and 
he  was  walking  rapidly  down  the  hall. 

At  length,  reaching  a  door  he  unlocked 
it  and  stepped  inside 

"  Come  on,"  said   Harry,  and  they  hui 
ried  after  him. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
A    FIRE    STARTUP. 

It  seemed  to  Arthur  that  he  had 
scarcely  fallen  asleep  when  a  heavy  hand 
was  laid  on  his  shoulder  and  a  voice  said 
in  his  ear; 

"So  ho!  my  young  bird,  it's  not  you, 
then,  that's  making  this  disturbance:'" 

The  captain  had  just  betaken  himself 
to  his  rest  when  the  uproar  was  raised  in 
the  cellar,  and  the  first  thing  he  thought 
of  was  his  prisoner — hence  his  visit  to 
Arthur. 

Arthur  with  difficulty  collected  his 
scattered  senses.  He  did  not  know  where 
he  was  at  first,  and  just  as  his  where- 
abouts and  the  condition  of  things  began 
to  dawn  on  him  the  captain  of  the  guer- 
illa band  spoke  again. 

'•  What  has  become  of  your  partner?" 
he  asked.  "There  were  two  of  you 
roaming  around  this  evening,  bit  I 
neglected  to  seize  the  other  lad  when  I 
did  you." 

As  the  captain  was  speaking  the  door, 
opened  softly  and  two  figures  stole  si- 
lently in. 

Arthur,  who  was  lying  face  to  the  door, 
saw  the  whole  proceeding,  while  the 
guerilla  chief,  who  was  facing  Arthur,  re- 
mained in  ignorance  of  it. 

"  I  guess  you  would  have  seized  him  if 
you  could  when  your  men  captured  me," 
replied  Arthur,  bluntly,  not  knowing 
just  what  to  say  to  hold  the  captain's  at- 
tention. 

"Still,"  said  the  captain,  "you  haven't 
told  me  where  the  oth«»-  spy  is." 

"  Here  he  is!"  exclaimed  another  voice. 

The  captain  sprung  up,  only  to  find 
himself  confronted  by  th«  navy  revolver 
that  had  quelled  his  unde"  ling  so  effectu- 
ally and  so  often  during  the  past  two 
hours. 

"Walk  into  that  corner  avd  don't  say  a 
word,"  commanded  Harry,  j*nd  stooping 
down  he  cut  Arthur's  bonds,  vt  the  same 
time  keeping  an  eye  on  his  two  captivos. 

"  We  must  tie  the  captain  up,  Artie," 
he  said.  "Get  something  quf".k.  it's 
getting  too  warm  around  here  for  us." 

Arthur  cast  his  eyes  about  the  room, 
and  then  stepped  up  to  the  window  <md 
tore  down  the  curtains. 

"They'll  hold  him,  I  guess,"  he  mat- 
tered, "and  it's  the  only  thing  there  I  ." 

In  the  course  of  a  few  seconds  the   Jul 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


17 


tain  was  in  the  same  plight  in  which  he 
nail  found  Arthur  only  a  few  moments 
before. 

When  Harry  said  it  was  getting  too 
warm  for  them,  he  felt  that  he  had  been 
too  long  coming  So  that  conclusion.  He 
might  well  think  that,  after  creating  snch 
a  disturbance  among  the  guerillas,  and 
keeping  out  of  their  power  so  long,  they 
would  take  particular  precautions  to  pre- 
vent him  and  Arthur  from  escaping 
finally. 

That  they  could  easily  do  this  he  did 
not  doubt,  and  if  fortune  came  not  to  his 
aid  very  soon  the  future  looked  gloomy 
enough. 

Still  the  guerillas,  thus  far,  had  not 
shown  any  remarkable  sagacity,  and  tak- 
ing their  stupidity  for  granted  he  hoped 
to  outwit  them  by  their  own  actions, 
rather  than  by  any  brilliant  move  on  his 
own  part. 

One  cause  of  his  perplexity  was  Jack, 
the  hostler — he  did  not  know  what  dis- 
position to  make  of  him. 

He  feare/1  to  take  him  along  on  the 
move  that  he  was  about  to  make,  and  he 
hesitated  about  leaving  him  with  the 
guerilla  chief. 

While  his  brows  were  knit  over  these 
matters  the  sounds  of  the  search  were 
gradually  coming  nearer,  as  if  a  party  of 
the  guerillas  were  about  to  begin  "on  the 
first  floor. 

Realizing  that  whatever  was  to  be  done 
must  he  done  quickly,  Harry  said: 

".Where  can  we  put  this  fellow,  Artie?" 
nodding  toward  Jack.  "  We  want  to  get 
him  out  of  the  way." 

"We  might  tie  his  feet  and  put  him 
into  the  next  room,"  suggested  Arthur. 
"There's  a  door.     See  where  it  leads  too." 

Harry  opened  the  door  indicated,  and 
by  the  aid  of  the  lantern  discovered  an- 
other room,  somewhat  smaller  than  the 
one  in  which  they  were.  He  was  about 
to  close  the  door  when  he  noticed  a  small 
door  in  the  wall  on  th«  opposite  side, 
about  four  feet  high  by  one  broad. 

"What  is  that  little  door  used  for?"  he 
demanded  of  the  prisoners. 

Jack  Cobb  looked  at  his  chief,  expect- 
ing him  to  reply,  but  the  captain  re- 
mained silent. 

"Speak  out!"  exclaimed  Harry,  impa- 
tiently, drawing  his  revolver,  but  for 
once  in  the  evening  he  had  mistaken  his 
man. 

The  guerilla  chieftain  was  a  brave  man, 
and  he  looked  into  the  muzzle  of  the  re- 
volver without  flinching,  at  the  same 
time  saying  calmly: 

"If  you  think  you  are  more  likely  to 
get  information  from  me  by  shooting  me, 
&■*•/•  are  welcome  to  make  the  attempt." 

Aarry  looked  at  him  a  moment  in  as- 


tonishment, and  then  without  a  word 
turned  to  the  other  guerilla,  and  repeated 
his  question. 

"Jack,"  interrupted  the  guerilla  chief, 
"if  you  reply  to  tliat  question  remember 
that  you  have  an  account  with  me  to 
settle,  and  a  severe  one,  too." 

But  Jack  had  already  caught  the  cap- 
tain's spirit,  and  had  refused  to  make 
reply. 

Harry  put  his  revolver  back  in  his  pock- 
et, turning  as  he  did  so  to  the  guerilla 
chief. 

"You  are  right,"  he  said.  "I  could 
gain  nothing  by  taking  the  lives  of  either 
of  you,"  and  going  directly  to  the  little 
door  with  a  lantern  and  opening  it,  he 
disappeared  beyond  it. 

Arthur,  who  had  said  nothing  during 
the  whole  proceedings,  waited  apprehen- 
sively for  the  result  of  Harry's  trip. 

Presently  Harry  came  back,  and  catch- 
ing the  guerilla  hostler  by  the  shoulders 
motioned  Arthur  to  seize  his  feet,  which 
had  been  bound  together. 

"Now."  said  Harry,  when  they  had  de- 
posited their  burden  in  the  next  room, 
"  we'll  leave." 

"Whereto   now?"  questioned    Arthur. 

"Come  on,  I'll  show  you,"  answered 
Harrv,  once  more  stepping  put  into  the 
hall." 

Leading  the  way  to  the  small  room  in 
which  were  the  stairs  leading  to  the  gar- 
ret, he  was  about  to  ascend,  when  a  series 
of  unearthly  yells  and  shouts  burst  upon 
his  ears. 

Our  two  friends  looked  at  each  other  in 
dismay. 

Both  realized  that  they  had  made  a 
serious  mistake  in  neglecting  to  gag  their 
two  prisoners. 

Before  their  shouts  could  be  suppressed 
the  alarm  would  be  all  through  the 
house. 

"Be  quick,"  cried  Harr}r,  springing  up 
the  stairs;  "  we  haven't  a  moment  to 
lose  " 

"  Bolt  that  door  behind  you,"  he  cried, 
on  reachiug  the  head  of  the  stairs. 
"Now,  notice  where  you  are  going,"  he 
continued,  when  Arthur  joined  him. 
"Follow  me,  and  lock  every  door  that  has 
a  fastening." 

With  the  aid  of  their  lantern  they  soon 
found  the  ladder  leading  up  to  the  roof. 

When  they  pushed  off  the  trap  door 
Arthur  whispered  to  Harry,  who  carried 
the  lantern:  "Shut  off  the  light;  there 
may  be  some  of  the  rascals  out  in  the 
yard." 

When  they  reached  the  door  that  led 
to  the  cellar  they  listened  a  moment,  but 
if  there  was  any  persons  coming  they 
could  neither  see  nor  hear  them. 

Unluckily  for  them  there  was  no  bolt 


18 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


on  the  inside  of  this  door,  and  all  they 
could  do,  as  they  went  through,  was  to 
pull  it  tight  shut. 

They  proceeded  as  quickly  and  as  si- 
lently as  possible  down  the  narrow  stair- 
way, and  as  they  n eared  the  bottom  the 
shouts  and  noises  had  nearly  .ill  died  away. 
"This  miist  lead  to  the  center  of  the 
earth,'' said  Arthur,  in  surprise.  "How 
did  you  happen  to  find  this  out  Harry?" 
•'  Ob,  I've  been  around  the  whole  place 
while  you've  been  running  afoul  of  every 
guerilla  that  has  come  within  a  mile  of 
you." 

"  I  did  run  most  terribly  foul  of  one  of 
the  rascals.  Just  look  at  my  forehead," 
replied  Arthur,  chuckling. 

"  What  did  that?"  asked  Harry,  notic- 
ing a  large  red  spot  much  swelled. 

"  I  ran  into  a  fellow  out  in  the  woods, 
and  struck  him  on  the  back  of  the  head 
with  my  forehead,  and  knocked  him  into 
a  little  brook  head  first.  Just  look  at  my 
feet  how  wet  they  are.  I  went  in,  too," 
and  Arthur  surveyed  his  feet  ruefully. 

"  Well,  we  must  be  moving,  or  you  will 
be  worse  off  than  that  by  a  good  bit," 
suid  Harry,  hastening  on. 

In  a  few  moments  more  they  reached 
the  bottom  of  the  stair-way. 

Listening  a  moment  Harry  opened  the 
door  cautiously  and  peered  out.  The  pas- 
sage was  in  darkness,  and  not  a  sound 
greeted  their  ears  except  from  above. 

Stepping  out  they  moved  quickly  down 
the  passage,  intent  on  reaching  the  room 
where  the  pile  of  shavings  had  been 
heaped. 

Turning  off  at  the  first  intersection  of 
passages  Harry  stopped  a  moment  to 
think. 

"  I  guess  this  is  the  right  way,"  he  mut- 
tered, stepping  forward  again.  In  a  few 
seconds  they  reached  the  main  passage, 
and  there  Harry  recovered  his  reckoning. 
A  few  steps  brought  them  to  the  door  of 
the  room  for  which  they  were  making, 
and  on  noticing  it  Harry  stopped  short. 

It,  was  not  as  he  left  it — locked,  but 
wide  open. 

The  guerillas  had  evidently  been  in  it, 
as  in  every  other  room  in  the  cellar, 
searching  for  him. 

He  wondered  what  they  thought  of  the 
pile  of  combustible  material,  and  whether 
they  suspected  its  purpose. 

After  making  sure  that  nobody  was 
there  he  stepped  in. 

•Humph!"  he  said  to  Arthur,  as  the 
condition  of  the  room  fell  upon  his  eyes. 
"  They  must  have  thought  we  were  hiding 
under  that  pile." 

Something,  indeed,  they  must  have 
thought,  for  the  pile  was  there  no  longer, 
and  what  went  to  constitute  it  was  scat- 
tered over  every  inch  of  the  floor. 


Boards,  shavings,  and  small  wood  were 
lying  about  in  the  most  promiscuous 
fashion,  and  the  odor  of  the  coal-oil  that 
Harry  had  used  pervaded  the  room. 

The  two  set  to  work  with  all  haste  tc 
set  the  pile  up  again.  The  cotton  wad 
saturated  with  oil  was  found  in  a  corner, 
and  as  many  of  the  soaked  shavings  as 
could  be  gathered  were  placed  upon  it. 

In  the  course  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
the  heap  touched  the  sleepers  in  the  floor 
above. 

"  We'll  get  her  started,  anyway,"  mut- 
tered Hairy,  as  he  knelt  down  and  struck 
a  match. 

Holding  it  a  moment  until  it  blazed  up 
brightly,  he  applied  it  to  the  cotton  wad, 
then  to  several  other  points. 

In  a  minute  the  whole  pile  was  in  a 
blaze,  and  the  smoke  rolling  out  com- 
pelled them  to  vacate  the  room  as  quickly 
as  they  could. 

Upon  reaching  the  passage-way  they 
looked  back  to  see  how  the  tire  was  pro- 
gressing. Through  the  smoke  they  could 
see  the  flames  licking  the  ceiling,  which 
was  already  much  blackened. 

"Come  on,"  said  Harry,  moving  off. 
"  The  quicker  we  get  away  from  here  the 
better  it  will  be  for  us." 

They  started  in  the  direction  of  the 
stable,  but  hearing  voices  there  they 
paused* 

"  Wait  a  second,"  whispered  Arthur, 
"and  I'll  take  a  peep  and  see  who's 
there." 

Stepping  softly  forward  he  stood  a 
moment  before  the  door  which  led  into 
the  stable. 

"Well?"  said  Harry,  when  hereturnedc 

"  Eight  of  them  there,"  was  the  reply. 

Turning  about  they  started  back  to- 
ward the  fire  again.  When  they  passed 
the  door  they  could  see  that  the  fire  had 
caught  the  floor  above  and  was  spreading 
rapidly. 

"  Let's  turn  off  here,"  suggested  Ar- 
thur, pointing  to  a  passage  that  they  had 
not  yet  had  occasion  to  use. 

Just  then  they  were  startled  by  shouts 
of  "fire!  fire!" 

"Hurry  up!"  both  exclaimed,  darting 
down  the  passage. 

The  cry  of  fire  was  taken  up  and  echoed 
and  re-echoed  through  the  whole  house. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PURSUIT. 

When  the  guerilla  chief  was  taken  and 
bound  so  cleverly  by  Harry,  he  knew 
that  he  would  not  remain  long  a  captive, 
as  somebody  was  sure  to  come  to  the 
room  to  look  after  the  captive  they  had 
placed  there  only  a  short  time  before. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


lft 


The  captain  was  therefore  surprised 
that  no  move  was  made  to  gag  either 
himself  or  his  hostler,  and  accordingly 
congratulated  himself  that  the  tables 
would  be  once  more  turned,  and  this 
Time  in  his  favor. 

He  had  no  sooner  satisfied  himself  that 
the  Yankees  were  out  of  sight,  than 
lie  and  Jack  Cobb  set  the  house  in  alarm 
by  shouting  at  the  top  of  their  voices. 
Their  situation,  however,  prevented  their 
being  heard  for  some  minutes,  thus  giving 
our  heroes  a  valuable  start. 

Though  Cobb  had  been  placed  in  the 
next  room,  it  was  more  for  the  purpose  of 
preventing  him  assisting  the  captain  to 
release  himself,  than  to  put  him  out  of 
reach  of  his  chief's  voice;  consequently 
the  following  dialogue  took  place,  with- 
out material  inconvenience  to  either  cf 
them: 

"How  did  you  happen  to  fall  in  with 
those  two  Yanks?"  was  the  captain's  first 
question. 

•'They  dropped  on  me  when  I  went  to 
the  cellar  to  see  'bout  them  saddles  an' 
bridles,''  answered  Jack.- 

"Hum'.''  growled  the  captain.  "It's 
funny  you  should  let  two  spring  chickens 
like  those  fellows  take  you  in." 

"  I  couldn't  do  nothin'  w'en  each  stuck 
a  revolver  'most  down  my  throat,"  re- 
plied Jack,  sullenly,  thinking  at  the  time 
that  his  chief  had  not  done  any  better, 
when  he  was  captured  a  few  minutes  be- 
fore. 

"  Weren't  you  there    when  Pete   Bink 
and  the  other  two  caught  the  big  Yaflik? 
Why  didn't  they  get  the  other  one?" 
"'Cause  they  didn't  see  him." 
"  Where  was  he?" 

'*  In  the  main  cellar,  and  the  other  was 
in  the  stable." 

"How  did  they  happen  to  be  sepa- 
rated?" 

"The  big  feller  went  back  for  a  lantern, 
and  that's  how  he  fell  in  with  Pete's 
crowd." 

"And  left  his  mark  on  them,  too," 
added  the  captain  to  himself;  then  rais- 
ing his  voice  he  asked:  "What  did  the 
Yanks  want  in  the  cellar?" 

"  One  o'  them  axed  me  if  they  was  any 
shavin's  an'  wood  in  the  cellar,  and  told 
me  to  take  him  around,"  answered  Jack. 
The  captain  started. 
"  That's  a  very  suspicious  circum- 
stance," he  muttered;  then  louder,  "tell 
me  all  that  happened  until  you  reached 
this  room." 

Cobb  thereupon  rehearsed  the  various 
maneuvers  above  and  below,  and  was 
just  finishing  when  hurrying  footsteps 
in  the  hall  announced  that  their  shouts 
had  been  heard  and  assistance  had  ar- 
rived 


The  half-dozen  guerillas  who  opened 
the  door  stood  speechless  with  surprise 
at  the  sight  of  their  bold  chief  lying 
bound  in  the  heart  of  his  own  strong- 
hold, which  hitherto  no  enemy  bad 
approached  nearer  to  than  five  miles. 

"Well,  men,"  growled  the  captain,  not 
relishing  much  the  thought  of  the  spec- 
tacle he  presented,  "don't  stand  staring 
there  like  a  lot  of  fools,  but  get  me 
loose." 

With  a  chorus  of  ejaculations  and  im- 
precations against  those  who  had  the 
audacity  to  reduce  their  chief  to  such  a 
plight,  the  guerillas  crowded  into  the 
room,  and  quickly  releasing  Captain 
Henry,  demanded  who  had  bestowed 
the  indignity  upon  him. 

The  captain  pointed  expressively  to  the 
spot  where  Arthur  lay,  at  the  same  time 
saying: 

"Where's  our  prisoner?" 
Some  were  starting  out   tt    renew   the 
search,  when  the  chief  ordered   them   to 
await  his  commands. 

"Go  into  the  next  room  and  bring  Cobb 
here,  before  anything  else  is  done." 

Two  of  the  group  about  the  captain 
instantly  went  to  the  next  room,  and  in  a 
moment  reappeared  with  Jack  Cobb. 

"  Is  there  anybody  still  looking  for  the 
Yanks?"  demanded  the  captain. 

A  number  of  the  guerillas  answered  in 
the  affirmative. 

"  Whereabouts?"  asked  the  captain. 
"Some  in  the   cellar  an'   some  on   the 
first  floor,  an'   we  come   up-stairs   to   see 
what  the    hollerin'    was    fer,"    was    the 
answer. 

"  Co  down  to  the  cellar,"  said  the  cap- 
tain to  the  speaker,  "and  tell  those  who 
are  there  to  guard  all  ways  leading  out, 
and  to  shoot  the  first  person  that  goes 
out,  no  matter  who  he  is." 

Then  turning  to  another  he  said: 
"Gilbert,  how  many  have  we  heiv    to- 
night?" 

"About  thirty,"  answered  that  worthy. 

"Take  four  other  men   and   surround 

the  house   to  catch    the   blue-jackets   in 

case  they  get  out.     We  must   have   them 

at  any  cost." 

Others  were  given  orders  to  search  the 
first  and  second  floors,  while  the  captain 
purposed,  with  Cobb's  assistance,  to  take 
upon  himself  a  special  search. 

When  all  had  taken  their  departure 
save  Cobb,  the  chief  went  up  to  him  and 
said: 

"  You  were  in  that  room.  Are  you  sure 
the  blue-jackets  didn't  go  down  there?" 
indicating  the  small  door,  two  by  four 
feet,  the  purpose  of  which,  it  will  be  re- 
membered, Captain  Henry  declined  to 
acquaint  Harry. 

"No;  he  came  up  an1  took  me   in   the 


20 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


next  room,  an'  then  they  both   went  out 
into  the  hall,"  answered  Cobb,  positively. 

The  room  of  which  the  captain  spoke 
was  a  small  room,  about  eight feet  square 
aud  seven  feet  from  floor  to  ceiling-.  It 
was  placed,  by  some  strange  whim,  be- 
tween the  first  aud  second  floors,  under 
the  stair-well',  so  that  its  existence  would 
never  be  known,  except  for  the  small 
door,  before  spoken  of,  in  the  room  be- 
hind that  in  which  Arthur  had  been  con- 
lined. 

What  the  original  intention  of  placing 
the  room  there  was,  not  even  the  guer- 
illas knew,  and  they  set  it  down  to  the 
eccentricity  ot  the"  builder.  When  one 
thinks  of  the  extensive  cellar  and  devious 
maze  of  passage- ways  and  the  secret 
stairs  it  is  not  surprising  that  they  should 
come  to  such  a  conclusion. 

The  captain  of  the  guerilla  band,  for 
reasons  best  known  to  himself,  had  kept 
the  existence  of  this  apartment  a  pro- 
found secret  to  his  men  until  a  short  time 
previous,  when  one  of  them  discovered 
it  during  the  captain's  absence. 

In  consequence  of  its  discovery,  Captain 
Henry  issued  orders  that  no  one  but  him- 
self and  his  lieutenant,  Gilbert,  should 
under  any  circumstances  enter  the  room. 
The  reason  for  this  was  that  the  place 
was  a  store-house  for  what  ammunition 
the  band  used  and  what  they  captured 
from  United  States  supply  wagons,  and 
for  any  other  articles  the  captain  deemed 
it  expedient  to  keep  out  of  the  hands  of 
his  men. 

The  captain  mused  a  moment  when 
Cobb  told  him  that  our  heroes  had  not 
gone  to  the  magazine-room,  as  it  was 
called,  and  motioning  Jack  to  follow  he 
stepped  out  into  the  hall. 

They  iirst  went  to  a  number  of  places 
that  the  captain  considered  of  sufficient 
security  to  attract  the  attention  of  Harry 
and  Arthur,  Cobb  meanwhile  adding 
some  incidents  that  he  had  left  untold, 
when  the  guerillas  crowded  into  the  room 
to  effect  their  release. 

By  this  time  the  captain  had  reached 
the  little  room  that  led  to  the  garret  and 
thence  to  the  roof,  when  he  recollected 
that  he  was  unarmed. 

He  turned  around  and  said:  "Jack, 
go  and  get  me  a  couple  of  pistols  and  get 
a  musket  for  yourself.     Hurry  up." 

Jack  stepped  out  of  the  room  and  in 
the  course  of  a  few  minutes  returned  with 
the  required  articles. 

"Now,"  said  the  captain,  "yougoahead 
and  show  me  just  where  they  have  been, 
so  that  1  can  tell  what  they  have  not 
found  out." 

The  stair  door  through  which  they 
passed  had  been  wrenched  off  its  hinges 
by  the  party  already  sent  to   the  garret, 


and  the  captain  paused  as  he  noted  it; 
but  just  as  he  was  about  to  make  an  in- 
quiry a  wild  shout  from  below  fell  upon 
his  ear. 

"Fire!  fire P'  was   the  cry.     "Fire!  fire! 
The  house's  on  lire!     Hi!  hi!" 


CHAPTER  X. 

AN     EXPLOSION. 

When  Harry  and  Arthur  heard  the 
alarm  of  fire  started  and  taken  up 
throughout  the  whole  house,  they  knew 
that  matters  with  them  were  fast  ap- 
proaching a  crisis.  They  might  escape 
in  the  confusion  resulting  from  the  fire, 
but  if  not,  it  was  hard  to  tell  what  the 
guerillas,  already  so  furious,  would  do 
to  them. 

As  matters  stood  then  there  was, 
though  the  boys  didn't  know  it,  four  dif- 
ferent parties  searching  for  them,  one  on 
each  floor  and  one  outside.  The  fire- 
alarm,  so  unexpected,  might  reduce  this 
force  for  the  purpose  of  suppressing  the 
fire,  but  even  if  such  was  the  ease  theii 
prospects  of  escape  were  not  very  briuht. 

Harry,  however,  congratulated  him- 
self that  the  work  which  he  had  come  on 
the  expedition  to  perform  was  done,  and 
so  he  could  look  to  the  future  with  a 
lierhter  heart  than  if  the  whole  matter 
had  resulted  in  failue. 

Another  cause  for  congratulation  was 
that  both  of  them  were  still  at  large,  and 
he  was  confident  if  they  could  only  re- 
mai,n  so  till  the  vigor  of  the  search  had 
passed  by,  they  would  then  have  an  ex- 
cellent chance  to  make  their  way  to  the 
river. 

It  was  part  of  Harry's  plan  in  the  first 
place  to  lire  the  house  and  get  out  of 
it  before  the  alarm  was  raised,  but  it  has 
been  seen  that  from  the  first  there  was  a 
series  of  interruptions  and  obstacles  to 
the  carrying  out  of  this  plan,  which 
might  never  have  been  surmounted  had 
it  not  been  for  Arthur's  capture. 

They  were  now  trying  to  find  their 
way  out  of  the  cellar.  Harry  was  not 
familiar  enough  with  it  to  accomplish 
this. 

They  had  just  entered  a  passage-way 
hitherto  unnoticed  when  the  alarm  ot 
lire  reached  them,  and  stopping,  they 
listened  a  few  seconds  to  the  hub-bub 
that  instantly  arose. 

They  then  proceeded  to  examine  each 
room  as  they  went,  by  holding  their 
lantern  above  them  and  peering  between 
the  bars  of  the  door. 

There  was  nothing  encouraging  to  be 
found,  for  nothing  greeted  them  but  bare 
stone  walls. 

"  Let's  go  to  the  end  of  this  passage 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


2  J 


before  we   look   at   anything   else/'    said 
A  rt  h  u  rim  patien  t 1  y. 

'"All  right,"  replied  Harry,  handing 
him  the  lantern.  "Go  ahead;  I'll  stay 
here  and  watch." 

Arthur  took  the  lantern  and  started 
down  the  passage  at  a  rapid  walk.  He 
noticed  that  the  doors  got  wider  apart  as 
h'..;  went  along,  and  near  the  end  of  the 
passage  there  was  a  space  of  nearly 
twenty  feet  between  them.  He  was  sur- 
prised also  to  find  t lie  passage  turn  ab- 
ruptly just  as  he  thoughc  he  had  reached 
tin-  end. 

Before  turning  the  corner  he  closed  the 
lantern  and  listened  intently.  Hearing 
nothing  lie  advanced  cautiously  in  the 
darkness,  feeling  his  way  along  the  wall 
with  his  hand. 

After  moving  along  about  ten  feet  in 
this  way  he  brought  up  suddenly,  and 
feeling  about  concluded  he  had  reached 
the  end. 

A  ray  of  light  from  the  lantern  showed 
him  he  was  not  wrong. 

Turning  on  the  full  light  again  he 
clohely  examined  the  wall,  which  seemed 
to  be  a  bit  of  solid  masonry  thrown 
across  the  passage. 

Arthur's  sharp  eyes  detected  an  almost 
imperceptible  crack  running  from  the 
top  to  a  point  about  a  foot  from  the  bot- 
tom of  the  wall. 

"  That  must  mean  something,"  he  mut- 
tered, and  stepping  up  closer  he  went 
over  the  whole  surface  again. 

"  Ha!"  he  exclaimed,  as  he  discovered 
two  horizontal  cracks  meeting  and  run- 
ning at  right  angles  from  the  first. 

"Another  secret  door,  as  sure  as  I 
live,"  he  said  to  himself.  "I  wonder 
where  it  leads  tof 

Picking  up  the  lantern  he  left  the  place 
to  call  Harry,  and  going  hastily  back  he 
held  it  up  to  attract  his  attention,  but 
not  seeing  him  Arthur  went  further,  at 
the  same  time  saying  to  himself:  "I 
thought  the  place  I  left  him  was  nearer." 

He  walked  almost  to  the  end  of  the 
passage,  greatly  surprised  and  alarmed  to 
find  no  trace  of  Harry. 

He  was  about  to  go  further  when  the 
sound  of  a  number  of  feet  approaching 
compelled  him  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat  in 
the  darkness. 

Upon  reaching  the  private  door  he 
stopped  to  think  what  could  have  caused 
Ha*  ry  to  disappear  so  completely  and  in 
so    .ittle    time. 

He  surely  would  not  have  given  up  to 
tbr  guerillas,"  thought  Arthur,  "with 
ol  '  a  struggle  and  I  should  have  heard 
th«»'v.  We  have  the  confoundedest  luck," 
he  growled  to  himself,  his  wrath  begin- 
ning to  rise  at  their  successive  failures  to 
Leep    together.     "  How   am    I    goinsr  to 


help  him  or  he  help  me  when  neither 
knows  where  the  other  is/  Just  as  a 
place  to  get  out  is  found " 

Arthur  shopped;  he  was  not  sure  that 
this  was  a  place  to  get  out,  and  without 
more  grumbling  he  set  to  work  to  find 
out. 

He  went  carefully  over  the  whole  wall 
again,  but  he  was  rewarded  by  finding 
nothing  more.  Then  he  searched  for  a 
spring  in  the  door  and  on  both  sides,  but 
in  this  also  he  failed.  . 

He  stepped  back  and  again  looked 
over  the  whole  surface,  and  not  finding 
anything  said  to  himself: 

"  I'll  have  to  try  it  this  way,  I  guess." 

Putting  both  hands  close  to  the  edge, 
opposite  the  one  that  held  the  hinges,"  if 
there  were  such  things  in  its  make-up,  he 
gave  a  gentle  push,  but  the  door  did  not 
budge. 

Repeating  the  action  with  more 
strength,  he  saw  with  delight  that  it 
moved  inward  about  half  an  inch,  but  as 
soon  as  he  withdrew  the  pressure  it  re- 
sumed its  first  position. 

"Ha!  Spring  hinges,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, applying  himself  to  it  again. 

It  was  only  by  the  exercise  of  all  his 
strength  that  he  was  able  to  open  it 
enough  to  see  beyond,  but  he  was  grati- 
fied beyond  expression  to  see  that  it  was 
all  that  was  between  him  and  the  yard. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  can  do  "better 
than  to  get  out  of  this,  so  if  Harry  is 
captured  I  can  do  something  for  him, 
maybe." 

So  saying  Arthur  drew  back,  and  pick- 
ing up  the  lantern  prepared  to  leave  the 
cellar. 

When  he  pushed  open  the  stone  door 
again  it  worked  much  easier. 

"Those  hinges  must  be  awful  rusty," 
he  commented,  as  he  forced  himself 
through. 

Noticing  the  coast  was  clear  he  stepped 
entirely  out  into  the  yard,  still  bearing 
the  faithful  lantern. 

He  turned  around  to  look  for  the  door, 
%but  it  had  swung  back,  and  all  trace  of  it 
was  lost  in  the  rough  stone  foundation. 

Just  then  a  thought  came  to  him  that 
almost  took  his  breath  away. 

"  Suppose  the  fire  had  been  put  out." 

It  was  still  dark  and  he  saw  no  trace  or 
sign  of  anything  like  fire. 

He  stole  away,  making  for  the  border 
of  trees,  resolved  to  hide  himself  there 
and  await  developments. 

About  twenty  feet  to  the  one  side  of 
him  was  the  large  cellar  door  by  which 
he  had  entered.  Upon  the  top  of  one  of 
the  side  walls  stood  a  man  looking  in  at 
the  window  placed  above  the  cellar-way. 

He  was  so  interested  in  what  he  saw 
within  that  he  did   not   6ee  Arthur   step 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


quickly  across  the  yard  and  into  the 
bushes. 

This  move  was  not  made  a  moment  too 
soon,  for  he  had  scarcely  entered  the 
woods  when  a  bright  light  shot  up  from 
the  top  of  the  house,  illuminating  the 
surroundings  with  a  lurid  glare. 

The  fire  had  burst  through  the  roof, 
and  th  (guerillas  were  about  abandoning 
their  efforts  to  extinguish  it. 

In  a  few  moments  they  began  to  pour 
our  of  the  house  at  all  points,  and  Arthur 
was  compelled  to  exchange  his  position 
for  one  deeper  in  the  woods. 

The  guerillas  were  almost  exhausted  by 
their  fierce  4>at tie  with  the  flames,  and 
most  of  them  lay  down  on  blankets  in 
the  yard  to  catch  a  little  sleep  before  the 
dawn  of  day,  which  was  fast  drawing 
near. 

A  half-dozen  others  took  lanterns  and 
began  to  search  the  woods,  as  if  looking 
for  something,  but  just  as  they  reached 
the  bushes  the  captain  and  two  others 
burse  from  the  burning  building,  and 
running  toward  the  recumbefnt  group 
shouted  something  in  a  loud  voice. 

Immediately  all  started  up.  and  with 
exclamations  of  surprise  and  fear  started 
for  the  woods  at  the  top  of  their  speed. 

Before  Arthur  had  to  think  what  could 
lie  the  cause  of  their  terror,  a  terrific  con- 
cussion shook  the  ground  under  Ids  feeT, 
and  stone  and  burning  wood  were  thrown 
hii?h  in  the  air,  and  one  of  the  walls  of 
the  d <K  ened  house  fell  inward  with  a  loud 
crash,  sending  forth  a  golden  cloud  of 
sparks. 

The  explosion  seemed  to  end  the  fury 
of  the  flames,  and  by  daylight  nothing 
but  a,  smoking  heap  of  ruins  was  left  of 
the  once  noble  stone  mansion. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

IN   A    REBEL    PRISON. 

We  left  Harry  alone  in  the  passage-way 
looking  after  Arthur's  retreating  figure, 
and  wondering  if  they  would  be  able  to 
circumvent  the  guerillas  in  the  end. 

He  thrust  his  hands  deep  into  his  pock- 
ad  leaned  against  the  wall,  thinking 
of  all  they  had  passed  through  that 
night,  when  he  was  startled  to  see  the. 
light  of  Arthur's  lantern  disappear. 

*"  I  wonder  if  he  hears  any  of  the  rebels," 
he  said  to  himself,  anxiously,  straining 
his  earsto  catch  the  slight  est  sound. 

He  waited  a  few  minutes,  and  was  about 
to  sicd  after  Arthur  when  he  heard 
voices  iii  the  opposite  direction. 

Hastily  deciding  upon  his  course  he 
went  to  the  nearest  door,  and  getting  the 
key  from  the  sill  above  it,  unlocked  it 
and  went  in. 


He  remembered  as  he  endeavored  to 
find  some  piace  of  concealment  that 
when  looking  into  this  room  a  few  min- 
utes before  he  had  seen  a  door  of  wood 
on  the  opposite-side. 

He  at  once  decided  to  get  beyond  it, 
but  on  pushing  it  open  it  gave  a  creak 
that  frightened  him  so  much  that  he  shut 
it  with  a  bang  that  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  guerillas  in  the  passage. 

Looking  through  the  key-hole  he  saw 
two  of  them  stop  at  the  door  which  led 
into  the  passage  and  survey  carefully  the 
interior  of  the  room,  but  as  he  had  locked 
that  door  and  the  one  he  last  opened,  he 
did  not  much  fear  them,  unless  they  used 
force  to  get  in. 

What  was  his  surprise  then  to  see  one 
of  the  men  pull  a  key  from  his  pocket 
and  open  the  outer  door,  saying  at  the 
same  Time:  ''That  must-be  the  one  we 
heard,"  pointing  to  the  door  behind 
which  Harry  stood. 

When  he  heard  this  Harry  felt  that  his 
freedom  was  about  to  end.  Nevertheless 
he  quickly  inserted  the  key  in  the  lock  to 
prevent  the  guerilla  using  his,  if  he  had 
one;  then  drawing  a  match  along  the 
wall  he  saw  by  its  li^ht  another  door, 
through  which  he  passed  just  as  lie 
heard  the  rebel  endeavoring  to  get  his 
key  in  the  other  lock. 

Having  by  this  method  i^ot  the  start  of 
his  pursuers  he   passed   through    several 
other  rooms,  and  going  so  far  from  where* 
he  left  Arthur  that  he  could  not  have  re- 
turned if  he  would. 

The  fire  now  made  an  unexpected  bar- 
rier to  his  progress.  The  room  be  had  last 
entered  was  next  tqonein  which  he  could 
hear  the  roaring  and  crackling  of  the 
burning  timbers,  and  all  around  echoed 
theshontsof  the  guerillas,  who  were  mak- 
ing strenuous  efforts  to  subdue  it. 

It  was  so  hot  in  the  room  that  he  found 
he  would  have  to  get  out  of  it  at  any  cost. 

There  were  only  two  doors  in  it — the 
one  by  which  he  had  entered  and  another 
on  the  opposite  side. 

Fearful  of  running  into  the  two  guer> 
illas  from  whom  he  had  just  escaped,  he 
chose  the  latter,  and  unlocking  it  he 
peered  cautiously  out. 

Only  about  twenty  paces  away  the 
flames  were  roaring  fiercely,  and  licking 
UD  the  huge  dry  timbers  with  great  ra- 
pidity. 

He  was  about  to  draw  back  and  seek 
an  escape  by  the  other  door,  when  his 
arm  was  roughly  seized  and  two  loaded 
revolvers  were  thrust  into  his  face,  while 
a  voice  hissed  in  his  ear: 

"I've got  you  this  time  for  good." 

When  Harrv recovered  himself  he  found 
that  he  was  in  the  possession  of  Captain 
Henry  and  his  hostler,  both  of  whom  he 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


23 


hail  left  bound  up-stairs  not    more   than 
half  an  hour  before. 

He  was  ordered  savagely  to  go  down 
the  passage-way  as  quick  as  he  could 
move,  and  as  he  heard  the  guerilla  chief 
mutter  something  about  "Yankee  fools 
that,  would  stand  around  a  burning  pow- 
der-magazine till  they  were  blown  up," 
he  remembered  for  the  first  time  since  he 
went  into  the  little  secret  room  up-stairs 
what  he  had  seen  there. 

He  judged  from  Henry's  remark  and 
from  his  haste  to  leave  the  locality  that 
the  tire  was  perilously  near  the  powder- 
room,  and  not  wishing,  any  more  than 
the  captain,  to  be  blown  up,  he  increased 
his  pace  accordingly. 

"Hurry  up,  cap'n,"  said  Jack  Cobb, 
whose  face  was  white  with  fear.  "  We'll 
be  dead  men  if  we  ain't  outeu  this  in  no 
time." 

They  were  already  running  down  the 
passage-way  at  the  top  of  their  speed, 
and  Harry,  who  was  much  lighter  of  foot 
than  either  of  them,  was  forging  ahead 
when  the  captain  ordered  him  to  regulate 
his  pace  in  accordance  with  theirs. 

They  passed  through  the  stable  with- 
out stopping,  and  upon  reaching  the 
yard  and  seeing  his  men  stretched  on  the 
grass  preparing  to  sleep,  the  captain 
yelled:  "Get  up  out  of  that,  men,  the 
place  is  full  of  powder.-  Every  mother's 
son  of  you  will  be  blown  to  bits  if  you 
don't  move!" 

As  one  man  the  prostrate  group  ros« 
with  yells  of  astonishment  and  consterna- 
tion, and  flew  from  the  spot  like  fright- 
ened deer,  hardly  gaiwing  the  shelter  of 
the  woods  when  the  explosion  took  place. 
Captain  Henry,  Jack  Cobb  and  their 
prisoner  being  the  last  received  a  number 
of  bruises  from  the  falling  fragments. 
The  captain  received  a  smart  rap  on  the 
knuckles  from  a  bit  of  falling  stone, 
while  pieces  of  mortar  struck  Cobb  and 
Harry  in  their  downward  course. 

"Secure  the  prisoner,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, curtly,  when  he  reached  the  spot  in 
the  woods  where  they  intended  to  pass 
the  remainder*  of  the  night,  and  then, 
moving  to  a  convenient  spot,  he  gloomily 
watched  the  progress  of  the  fire  which 
had  deprived  him  and  his  band  of  their 
elegant  quarters. 

In  accordance  with  his  orders  Harry 
was  bound  hand  and  foot  and  placed 
upon  the  ground  like  a  billet  of 
wood,  where  wearied  in  body  and  har- 
assed in  mind  he  fell  into  an  uneasy  sleep. 
When  he  awoke  it  was  broad  daylight 
and  the  guerilla  chief  was  bending  over 
him. 

As  soon  as  he  saw  Harry  was  awake  he 
demanded:  "Where  is  the  other  feller? 
Unless  you  know   something   about  him 


he  was  probably  blown   up  in   the  explo- 
sion!" 

Harry  was  horror  struck.  He  had 
thought  all  along  that  Arthur  was  again 
a  prisoner  of  the  guerillas,  and  the  cap- 
tain's query  threw  him  into  che  greatest 
excitement  and  dismay.  He  would  at 
that  moment  far  rather  have  seen  Ar- 
thur a  prisoner  than  believe  what  the 
rebel  chief  had  told  him. 

"Don't  you  know  where  he  is?"  he 
asked,  anxiously. 

"No,"  replied  the  captain.  "That's 
what  I  just  asked  you." 

"  Well,  we  got  separated  in  the  cellar," 
replied  Harry,  too  much  disturbed  to  at- 
tempt fo  deceive  the  captain,  "and  he 
left  me;  that  is  the  last  I  saw  of  him.'1 

"  I  guess  he  met  his  just  dues,  then," 
said  the  captain,  coolly.  "It's  likely 
that  he  only  forestalled  the  action  of  the 
commander  of  this  district.  I  wouldn't 
give  much  for  the  lives  of  those  who  did 
the  damage  here  last  night." 

With  this  significant  remark  the  guer- 
illa left  Harry  a  prey  to  the  most  pain 
ful  reflections. 

Aside  from  the  uncertainty  of  Arthur's 
fate  his  own  situation  was  perilous  in  the 
extreme. 

He  recalled  the  captain's  remark  con- 
cerning the  workers  of  the  destruction  of 
the  guerilla  stronghold  and  shuddered. 
Stdl  it  was  comforting  to  think  that  his 
lite  was  not  at  the  disposal  of  this  law- 
less band,  and  indeed  he  was  not  so 
down  hearted  when  he  thought  that  he 
had  considered  all  the  probable  dangers 
of  his  enterprise  before  he  left  the  Dragon 
Fly. 

What  troubled  him  most  was  the  dis- 
appearance of  Arthur.  He  remembered 
now  what  had  slipped  his  mind  before — 
that  he  had  Deglected  to  tell  Arthur  the 
contents  of  the  magazine-room,  not 
dreaming  they  should  again  be  sep- 
arated. 

For  this  Harry  reproached  himself 
severely.  It  was  unintentional  of  course, 
but  then  Arthur  might  have  tound  a 
means  of  escape,  instead  of  using  which 
he  preferred  to  remain  in  the  building 
to  wait  for  Harry,  thus  placing  himself 
unconsciously  in  the  danger  of  being 
blown  up. 

All  this  and  much  more  Harry  thought 
over  while  lying  on  the  ground  in  the 
midst  of  the  guerilla  camp,  but  however 
much  he  might  ponder  and  reason,  he 
could  explain  nothing  satisfactorily  that 
troubled  him,  so  he  wisely  concluded  to 
wait  till  they  explained  themseives. 

As  near  as  he  could  guess  it  was  about 
nine  o'clock  when  three  horses  were 
brought  to  the  camp  and  tied  to  trees 
near  by,  by  Jack  Cobb. 


24 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


A  few  minutes  later  he  saw  the  guerilla 
chief  ami  bis  lieu  tenant,  Gilbert,  engaged 
in  earnest  consultation,  pointing  now  to 
the  horses  anu  then  waving  their  hands 
toward  the  woods. 

Gilbert  listened  attentively  to  what  his 
superior  said,  occasionally  nodding  and 
pointing  in  various  directions,  as  if  to 
be  sure  he  understood. 

At   length,    as   the  conference  ceased, 

the  captain  handed  a  large  sealed  envelope 

to  him,   while  Gilbert   called   one  of   the 

guerillas    that    Harry     afterward   ascer- 

:    (1  was  Pete  Bink. 

Giving  Pete  an  order  he  turned  and 
walked  up  to  one  of  the  horses^patting 
it  affectionately. 

Pete  calling  another  guerilla  ap- 
proached Harry,  and  cutting  the  fasten- 
ings from  liis  ankles  lifted  him  to  his 
feet,  while  the  other  approached  with 
one  of  the  horses. 

They  placed  Harry  astride  the  animal, 
at  the  same  time  tying  his  hands  before 
him  instead  of  behind  as  they  had  been 
during  the  night.  This  was  probably  to 
render  riding  more  easy  for  him,  though 
he  was  at  a  loss  to  know  why  they  took 
such  pains  to  make  him  comfortable. 

As  soon  as  lie  was  placed  to  their  satis- 
faction, Gilbert  and  Bink  sprung  into 
their  saddles  and  they  rode  off,  each  hav- 
ing a  hold  on  Harry's  brjdle. 

Their  course  held  due  south  from  the 
ruins  of  the  stoue  house,  and  for  about 
two  miles  their  road  led 'through  the 
wooils  which  surrounded  the  house. 

After  they  reached  a  more  open  coun- 
try they  turned  their  horses'  heads 
slightly  to  the  southwest. 

The  few  houses  they  passed  were  large- 
ly those  of  rebel  sympathizers,  who 
cheered  lustily  the  guerillas  and  jeered 
the  blue  uniform.  • 

"  Humph!"  said  Harry  to  himself.  "I 
thought  the  people  through  here  were 
Unionists.  They  don't  seem  to  be  par- 
ticularly struck  with  me,  at  any  rate." 

The  slow  trot  of  the  horses  was  very 
tiresome  and  Harry  asked  "  can't  you  go 
faster.  ' 

The  horses  themselves  were  magnifi- 
cent animals  and  they  seemed  To  like  the 
gait  as  little  as  did  Harry,  but  Gilbert 
checked  them  every  time  they  showed  a 
disposition  to  increase  their  speed. 

"  They  are  going  fast  enough,"  was  his 
reply  to  Harry. 

:'  Where  are  we  p;  mm'.'"'  asked  Harry, 
hoping  t<>  get  something  our  of  one  or 
the  oi  her. 

"See  here,  Yank,"  said   Gilbert,  turh- 

inur  sharply  around,  "  the  less    you    open 

your  jaw  to  me  the    better   I'll    be   satis- 

I.      You  hear  urf" 

"I    understand,"    said    Harry.     "Tell 


me  what  I  asked  and  I'll  t>other  you  no 
more." 

But  Gilbert  rode  on  in  silence,  taking 
no  notion  of  the  last  question,  so  Harry 
was  compelled  to  be  satisfied. 

Failing  in  his  efforts  to  gain  some  in- 
formation, he  began  to  find  the  journey 
grow  very  monotonous.  It  was  now  not 
more  than  twelve  o'clock,  and  at  the 
rate  they  had  been  moving  they  could 
hardly  have  made  more  that  twelve 
miles,  but  had  he  known  it  the  &low  pace 
at  winch  they  moved  became  of  the 
greatest  service  to  him  afterward. 

It  was  probably  between  one  and  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  they  came 
in  sight  of  a  long,  low  wooden  building, 
set  down  in  a  shallow  hollow. 

It  looked  like  a  rebel  barracks,  but  be- 
fore it  had  been  many  minutes  before  his 
eyes  Harry  kaevv  its  present  use  was 
that  of  a  prison. 

His  opportunity  for  observation  was 
very  small,  as  the  lieutenant  put  spurs  to 
the  horses  as  soon  a.s  the  prison  came  in 
sight,  as  if  anxious  to  get  through  his 
duty  after  lingering  so  long  on  the  road. 
They  rode  up  to  the  wooden  palisade 
that  surrounded  the  place  .and  knocked 
on  the  gate  for  admittance.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  gate  was  opened?  and  they 
were  let  into  a  dirty  yard,  where  here 
and  there  a  few  prisoners  were  seen  lying 
about  under  the  eye  of  a  guard,  who 
carried  a  musket  in  the  hollow  of  his 
arm. 

Gilbert  was  received  by  a  stout,  red- 
nosed  man  in  the  uniform  of  a  captain  of 
the  Confederate  States  of  America,  but 
before  having  any  conversation  a  man 
was  ordered  to  take  Harry  down  and  lock 
him  up. 

As  Harry  was  disappearing  he  saw  Gil- 
bert pull  the  letter  from  his  pocket  and 
present  it  to  the  commander  of  the  rebel 
prison. 

Harry  was  led  through  a  narrow  hall 
to  a  stair-way  leading  to  the  cellar,  into 
which  he  was  ordered  to  proceed.  He 
knew  resistance  was  hopeless,  and  he 
descended  the  stairs,  resolving  to  make 
an  attempt  to  escape  that  very  night, 
teeiing  if  it  was  postponed  he  might  never 
have  another  opportunity. 

He  was  locked  into  a  cell  placed  nearly 
in  the  center  of  the  cellar,  with  no  light, 
natural  or  artificial,  nothing  but  four 
bare  stone  walls,  relieved  by  the  single 
door. 

He  felt  around  to  see  what  the  room 
contained,  but  if  he  expected  to  find  any- 
thing he  was  disappointed.  There  was 
not  even  a  shake-down  on  which  to 
stretch  himself. 

With  an  exclamation  of  disgust  lie 
pulled  off  his  jacket,  and  spreading  it  on 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


25 


the  floor  threw  himself  upon  it,  and  after 
tossing  about  some  time  fell  into  a  sound 
Bleep.  

CHAPTER  XII. 

ARTHUR'S  TRANSFORMATION. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  Arthur 
had  passed  the  last  two  nights  practically 
without  sle^p,  it  will  be  supposed  that  he 
was  in  poofc  condition  for  the  labors  of 
the  day  immediately  succeeding  the  de- 
struction of  the  guerilla  stronghold. 

After  escaping  so  fortunately  from  the 
house  he  dared  not  lay  down  to  sleep 
without  placing  himself  in  danger  of  be- 
ing recaptured  by  the  rebels,  who  were 
encamped  within  a  stone's-throw  of  the 
place  where  he  was  hidden. 

He  could  easily  have  stolen  away  in  the 
darkness  and  slept  in  security  till  day- 
light, but  by  doing  so  there  was  every 
probability  that  Harry  would  be  disposed 
of  in  some  way  before  he  could  return. 

After  going  carefully  over  the  prob- 
abilities and  possibilities  of  the  case,  Ar- 
thur decided  it  was  better  to  risk  some- 
thing himself  and  be  sure  of  Harry's 
whereabouts,  than  to  leave  theneighbor- 
hood  and  probably  miss  something  that 
was  of  vital  consequence  for  him  to  know. 
As  he  had  seen  nothing  of  Harry  he 
had  some  doubts  as  to  whether  he  had 
gotten  out  of  the  burning  building,  but 
the  rebels  remained  perfectly  quiet  after 
their  scare,  and  he  had  to  wait  for  posi- 
tive information  till  morning. 

As  the  gray  light  of  dawn  came  slant- 
ing through  the  trees  Arthur  looked 
about  for  a  position  from  which  he  could 
observe  the  movements  in  the  camp  with- 
out d.-inger  of  detection. 

That  his  observations  were  not  inter- 
rupted was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  guer- 
illas believed  he  had  perished  in  the  ex- 
plosion. 

It  was  some  time  after  the  sun  rose 
when  he  reached  a  little  hillock,  which 
at  its  tip  reached  the  elevation  of  one 
hundred  feet.  It  was  about  an  eighth  of 
a  mile  from  the  camp,  which  could  be 
seen  sufficiently  plain  for  Arthur's  pur- 
pose. 

Choosing  a  sheltered  spot  he  began  his 
observations. 

Notwithstanding  the  small  opportunity 

given  them  for  sleep  that  night,  most  of 

t lie  guerillas  were  astir,     nd  several  fires 

'just    started    indicated    that  they    were 

about  preparing  their  breakfast. 

Arthur  scanned  the  camp  anxiously  in 
bores  of  catching  a  glimpse  of  Harry, 
but  the  distance  was  too  great  for  him  to 
distinguish  the  features  of  anybody  there. 
The  sight  of  the  fires  and  their  evident 
purpose  reminded  him  that  he  had  tasted 


nothing  since  six  o'clock  the  evening  be- 
fore. Fortunately  the  guerillas  had  not 
thought  it  necessary  to  remove  his  haver- 
sack, in  which  there  was  stored,  accord- 
ing to  the  captain  of  the  Dragon  Fly's 
orders,  sufficient  rations  to  see  him 
through  to  the  end  of  the  expedition. 

"1*11  just  eat  my  breakfast,  too,"  he  said 
to  himself.  "I  don't  know  when  I'll  have 
more  time." 

His  long  fast  made  hirn  eat  heartily, 
though  every  few  minutes  he  got  up 
from  the  fallen  tree  on  which  he  sat  and 
carefully  swept  his  eye  over  the  camp,  in 
order  that  no  move  of  importance  should 
be  made  there  without  his  knowledge. 

"If  Harry  had  only  come  along  with 
me  instead  of  standing  in  that  cellar  to 
let  himself  be  caught,  we  might  be 
aboard  the  Dragon  Fly  by  this  time,"  he 
said,  .as  he  finished  his  meal. 

Seating  himself  as  comfortably  as  pos- 
sible he  watched  the  camp  drowsily,  oc- 
casionally turning  his  head  iu  other  di- 
rections as  a  precaution  against  surprise. 

The  minutes  wore  slowly  by,  and  at 
nine  o'clock  he  thought  it  must  be  nearly 
noon. 

The  horses  being  brought  into  camp 
about  this  time  by  Cobb  had  the  effect 
of  making  him  interested  and  attentive 
to  what  followed. 

When  a  few  minutes  later  Harry, 
whom  he  recognized  by  the  blue  uni- 
form, was  lifted  upon  one  of  the  horses 
and  two  guerillas  mounted  the  others, 
he  began  working  his  way  toward  the 
camp  with  as  great  speed  and  care  as  he 
could  command.  By  the  time  he  had 
made  fifty  feet  the  horses  had  started, 
and  he  immediately  stopped  to  note  the 
direction  th^y  took,  which  was  almost 
at  right  angles  from  his. 

"  I  wonder  where  they're  taking  him 
to,"  he  muttered,  as  he  dodged  among 
the  trees  in  pursuit.    "I'll  lose  them,  sure." 

His  prospects  were  not  good  for  fol- 
lowing on  foot  the  horses  of  the  guerilla 
band,  which  were  said  to  be  the  best  in 
the  country. 

He  reached  the  edge  of  the  woods  some 
two  miles  from  the  little  hillock  before 
he  again  caught  sight  of  the  retreating 
trio.  There  he  stopped,  at  the  same  time 
noticing  the  leading  guerilla  turn  his 
horse's  head  a  little  to  the  southwest. 

Arthur  considered  a  few  moments  be- 
fore making  another  move.  It  was  mad- 
ness, he  thought,  to  attempt  to  follow 
them  on  foot,  and  there  was  not  a  hou-e 
in  sight  where  a  hoise  might  be  pro- 
cured. Even  if  he  had  a  horse  he  could 
not  follow  them  without  bt-ing  discov- 
ered. 

He  looked  again  at  the  horseman. 
They   seemed   to    be   moving   very  slowly ; 


»6 


HARRY  A1NTC)  ARTIE. 


at  any  rate  they  had  not  much  increased 
The  distance  between  him  and  them  since 
he  readied  the  edge  of  the  woods. 

'*  If  that's" all  the  faster  they  go  111  fol- 
low them  as  1  am,"  he  continued,  and  he 
waited  till  they  got  SO  far  ahead  that  his 
pursuit  would  not  be  seen. 

The  country  was  a  long,  rolling  swell, 
and  on  this  account  he  was  able  to  keep 
of  their  sight  nearly  all  the  time.  He 
would  wait  till  they  rode  into  the  hol- 
1  »ws  and  while  they  were  out  of  sight  he 
would  move  rapidly.  When  they  reached 
the  top  of  the  swell  Arthur  was  in  the 
trough,  so  to  speak. 

When    they    passed    a    farm-house    or 
through  a  little  village  he  was  compelled 
to  make   a  detour,  which    in   some   cases 
hi  in  iose  considerable  time. 

Still  the  route  of  the  guerillas  was  so 
direct  that  he  had  no  difficulty  in  keep- 
ing on  their  track. 

It  was  about  noon  when  he  passed  by 
a  small  house  around  which  he  had  to 
make  a  circuit,  when  he  saw  a  youth  of 
about  his  own  age  working  in  a  field  not 
far  from  a  little  belt  of  timber  through 
which  our  hero  was  passing. 

As  Arthur  looked  at  him  an  idea  came 
into  his  head,  and  he  hastened  on,  mut- 
tering: 

"  Just  you  stay  there  about  two  hours 
longer  and  you  won't  be  the  same  look- 
ing fellow  y  m  are  now,  neither  will  I." 

He  pushed  rapidly  on,  as  he  was  nearly 
a  mile  behind,  and  he  did  not  know  what 
minute  the  guerillas  might  change  their 
course. 

Stopping  a  moment  to  take  a  drink  at 
a  littie  brook  that  ran  through  the  belt, 
he  hurried  on,  unslinging  his  knapsack  as 
he  went. 

The  great  tax  on  his  powers  of  endur- 
ance made  him  desperately  hungry,  and 
it  is  doubtful,  at  the  rate  he  ate  on  this 
day,  whether  his  rations  would  last  the 
required  time. 

It  was  shortly  after  one  o'clock  when 
he  caught  up  with  the  guerillas  and  their 
prisoner,  and  he  just  arrived  at  the  top  of 
a,  swell  in  time  to  see  them  leave  it  at  the 
gate  of  the  prison. 

He  dropped  on  the  grass  at  once  and 
surveyed  the  place  minutely. 

"So  that's  the  place  they've  got  him. 
Whew!  what  a   journey  they've  led  me." 

And  assuring  himself  he  could  find  his 
way  back  to  the  place,  he  turned  about 
and  started  rapidly  back  in  the  direction 
from  which  he  came. 

"There's  no  time  to  be  lost,"' he  said 
to  himself.  "  He's  got  to  get  out  of  there 
right  away  or  not  all." 

Arthur's  anxiety  was  usually  expressed 
in  few  words,  and  he  was  thoroughly 
anxious  now. 


He  had  resolved   upon  a  plan  of  action 
that    would  be  the  means   of    Harry's  es-. 
cape  or  the  placing   himself  in  the  same 
condition  as  Harry  was  now. 

If  his  plan  failed  he  did  not  doubt  that 
the  rebels  would  dispose  of  them  at  once 
to  prevent  them  making  more  disturb- 
ance and  trouble. 

The  four  or  five  miles  back  to  the  belt 
of  timber  were  accomplished  in  a  little 
more  than  an  hour,  and  he  was  greatly 
delighted  upon  reaching  it  to  find  the 
young  rustic  still  at  work  in  the  field 
close  by. 

Arthur  approached  as  near  to  him  as 
he  could  without  being  discovered,  and 
then  stopped  to  consider  how  best  his 
plan  could  be  carried  out. 

If  he  walked  boldly  from  his  place  of 
concealment  the  fellow  might  take  fright 
at  his  uniform,  or  if  not  he  would  have 
time  to  prepare  for  fight,  and  this  was 
something  in  which  Arthur  did  not  care 
to  take  any  unnecessary  risk. 

At  length  he  concluded  to  decoy  him 
into  the  trees,  where  if  a  serious  fight  did 
come  off  it  would  not  be  in  sight  of  any 
prying  eyes. 

Raising  his  voice  Arthur  called  out, 
"  Hey,  there!" 

The  young  rustic  straightened   himself 

up  and'  looked  around  in  every  direction. 

In  a   moment    the   call    was   repeated, 

and  he  turned  his  gaze  to   the   patch   of 

woods. 

"  Come  over  here,  pard.  I  want  to  talk 
to  you,"  came  the  voice  again. 

"  Whar  air  you?     Why  don't  you  show 
yerself?"  demanded  the  youth,  guardedly. 
"  1  dassent  walk  in  the   hot   sun,'  was 
Arthur's  reply. 

"  W'at  you  want  wi'  me?"  demanded 
the  rustic  again. 

"  Come  oyer  here  an'  see.  You  won't 
be  sorry,  neither,"  answerecTArthur. 

Stimulated  by  curiosity  the  youth 
dropped  his  hoe,  and  came  slowly  toward 
the  trees. 

"Tarnation!"  he  exclaimed,  as  Arthur 
suddenly  stepped  in  front  of  him.  "What 
did  you  come  frum?" 

"i  want  to  make  a  trade  with  you," 
began  Arthur,  ignoring  the  question,  and 
proceeding  directly  1  o  his  business.  "  I'll 
trade  you  my  clothes  for  yours,  even. 
What  do  you  saj  ?" 

The  young  farmer  stepped  back  and 
looked  Arthur  over  from  head  to  foot. 
A  light  seemed  to  break  upon  his  under- 
standing as  the  blue  uniform  impressed 
itself  upon  him. 

"Say."  he  said,  looking  up  suddenly, 
"  air  you  a  Yank?" 

"No  matter  what  I  am."  answered  Ar- 
thur, impatiently.  "Hurry  up.  Yes  of 
no." 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


2? 


But  the  rustic  drew  back. 

"  Yes,  you  air  a  mean,  sneakin'  Yank. 
Yip!"  and  before  Arthur  could  lift  his 
arm  the  young  Confederate  sprung  at 
him  and  knocked  him  down. 

With  another  yell  he  sprung  upon  Ar- 
thur to  complete  his  conquest,  but  was  a 
moment  too  late. 

Arthur  had  risen  upon  one  knee  almost 
the  instant  he  touched  the  ground,  and 
as  the  young  farmer  sprung  upon  him  he 
warded  off  the  blow  aimed  at  his  head, 
but  the  violence  of  it  knocked  him  back 
again,  while  his  antagonist  went  sprawl- 
ing over  his  head  in  Ins  eagerness. 

This  put  them  on  equal  terms,  and  Ar- 
thur, believing  he  could  end  the  fight 
quicker  on  his  feet,  sprung  up.  The 
other  immediately  did  the  same,  but  be- 
fore he  was  fah'ly  on  his  feet  one  of  Ar- 
thur's terrific  1  ight-handers  stretched  him 
out  on  the  ground,  while  his  conqueror, 
pulling  out  a  revolver,  said  firmly: 

"  Now,  get  up  and  turn  your  head  away 
from  me,  and  get  out  of  that  coat  and 
trousers  as  quick  as  you  know  how." 

The  revolver  had  a  most,  wholesome 
effect  on  the  spirits  of  the  young  Confed- 
erate, and  doing  as  bidden  he  divested 
himself  of  his  garments  in  a  vary  short 
space  of  time. 

When  he  turned  around  according  to 
an  order  he  saw  that  Arthur  had  also 
taken  off  his  outer  garments. 

'"Here,"  said  the  latter,  "take  these 
and  put  them  on,  and  be  quick  about  it." 

In  a  few  moments  the  two  wero  en- 
tirely transformed — Arthur  into  an  evil- 
looking  guerilla,  and  the  other  into  a 
fairly-decent  United  States  marine. 

"  Now,  back  up  there  against  that  tree," 
was  Arthur's  next  command,  and  he  pro- 
ceeded to  tie  his  prisoner  to  it,  notwith- 
standing the  latter's  remonstrance. 

Remembering  their  mistake  of  the 
night  before,  he  securely  gagged  his 
prisoner,  and  satisfying  himself  that  the 
youth  would  be  in  no  danger,  he  made 
ready  to  leave  the  place,  as  it  was  con- 
siderably after  three  o'clock. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

HARRY'S  RUSE. 

It  was  about  seven  o'clock  when  the 
red  nosed  officer  who  had  received  (.-fil- 
bert and  his  prisoner  that  afternoon, 
walked  leisurely  into  the  box-like  apart- 
ment near  the  gate,  that  answered  for 
his  office,  and  threw  himself  into  the 
chair  before  a  small  desk. 

It  was  already  twilight  and  the  office 
was  lighted  by  a  small  lantern  which 
hung  from  the  ceiling.  The  officer  had 
just  returned  from  placing  the  sentinels 


about  the  prison,  and  he  looked  long- 
ingly toward  a  large  bottle  that  stood  on 
the  desk,  as  if  only  awaiting  the  moment 
when  he  could  enjoy  its  contents. 

He  was  about  to  take  a  nap  in  his 
chair  when  a  call  at  the  gate  attracted 
his  attention. 

"Who's  there  now?"  he  muttered.  "I 
don't  want  any  more  prisoners  brought 
here  to-night." 

A  few  minutes  later  a  man  entered  the 
office. 

"Ah,  Henry,  how  are  you?"  sain!  the 
officer,  rising  and  taking  the  other's 
hand.  "  I  didn't  expect  you  here.  Any- 
thing wrong?" 

"Nothing  later  than  what  Gilbert 
brought  you  this  afternoon,"  repeated 
the  other.  "I  suppose  you  have  the 
prisoner  safe?"  he  asked,  abruptly. 

The  guerilla  leader  might  have  received 
more  satisfaction  if  he  had  put  his  ques- 
tion differently.  Nothing  provoked  the 
commander  of  the  prison  more  than  to 
be  asked  if  his  prisoners  we#e  safe.  Dur- 
ing the  short,  existence  of  the  prison  no 
prisoner  had  ever  yet  escaped" its  wads; 
consequently  he  said,  curtly,  •'did  you 
ever  know  any  to  get  away  after  they 
were  once  here?  You  needn't  disturb 
yourself  about  him.'' 

"  Have  you  any  place  to  put  me  over- 
night?" Henry  asked,  changing  the  sub- 
ject. 

"  I  guess  I  can  find  you  some  place  if 
you  want  to  stay,"  replied  the  other. 

He  was  thoroughly  angry  now,  for  he 
imputed  the  guerilla  captain's  motive  in 
coining  to  the  prison  was  to  be  sure  that 
his  prisoner  was  safe. 

"He  must  think  I  don't  know  how  to 
take  care  of  his  pesky  prisoners,"  mut- 
tered the  officer,  angrily,  as  he  walked 
out  to  give  the  necessary  orders. 

He  returned  in  a  few  minutes  with  a 
guard  who  was  to  stable  the  captain's 
horse. 

"Our  accommodations  are  not  very 
good  but  you'll  have  to  put  up  with 
them,"  he  said,  as  Henry  left  the  office 
with  the  guard. 

It  was  hardly  five  minutes  after  the 
guerilla  captain  left  the  room  when  an- 
other loud  call  and  knock  was  heard  at 
the  gate. 

"Who  can  that  be?"  growled  the 
officer,  starting  up  and  going  to  the 
door. 

He  saw  the  gate  open  and  one  oi  the 
guards  question  the  new-comer. 

At  length  the  man  approached,  and 
touching  his  cap  respectfully,  said  there 
was  a  country  fellow  that  wanted  to 
speak  to  him. 

"  What  does  he  want?"  demanded  the 
officer  of  the  prison 


28 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


"  He  won't  tell  us  but  wants  to  see 
you.1'  replied  the  guard. 

"  Well,  send  him  in,"  said  the  cora- 
rnandant,  going  into  his  office  again. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  minutes  the 
new  comer  appeared  at  the  door  escorted 
by  two  of  the  guards. 

lie  wore  an  old  brown  suit  that  looked 
as  if  it  had  seen  bard  service  in  the  fields, 
and  his  whole  appearance  was  of  the 
style  that  is  commonly  denoted  fcang- 
dog.  | 

An  old  slouch  hat  pulled  low  over  his 
brow  left  nothing  but  the  lower  part  of 
his  face  visible. 

As  far  as  the  captain  of  the  prison 
could  judge,  he  appeared  to  be  about 
twenty  years  old. 

"  Who  are  you,  and  what  do  you  want?'' 
asked  the  officer,  sharply. 

The  stranger  raised  his  head  an  instant 
and  cast  a  meaning  glance  upon  the  two 
guards,  who  were  still  standing,  inter- 
ested to  know  what  the  newcomer 
wanted  in  til*  prison. 

The  officer  understood  the  motion. 
"  Leave  the  room,"  he  commanded. 

'•  Now,"  he  continued,  turning  to  the 
stranger,  "tell  me  what  you  want,  for  I 
have  no  time  to  waste." 

"  I  want  to  get  attached  to  this  yere 
prison,"  replied  the  other.  "I'm  a  handy 
feller  to  have  around  an'  I  thought 
you'd  like  to  have  some  feller  ter  black 
yer  boots  an'  things  around."1 

"  What  was  the  use  of  making  such  a 
secret  of  a  thing  like  that?"  demanded 
the  officer,  sharply. 

"'Cause  I  thought  you  wouldn't  want 
the  soldiers  to  think  you  wasn't  payin' 
fer  yer  things,  an'  I  am  willin'  to  do  'em 
fer  nothin'." 

"  Bright  fellow,  you,"  sneered  the  com- 
mandant. "Don't  you  suppose  if  I 
wanted  any  such  things  done  1  could  ask 
the  men  to  do  it,  without  one  of  them 
daring  to  refuse?'' 

"  You  better  take  me,  cap  11,"  persisted 
the  other.  "They  ain't  one  on  "em  as 
kin  do  your  errands  as  good  as  I  kin." 

"  I  didn't  say  1  wouldn't  have  you," 
interrupted  the  captain.  "You  can  make 
yourself  useful,  1  guess.  There — take 
those  lour  muskets  in  the  corner  and 
nut  'em  into  shape,  till  I  see  what  you 
can  do." 

The  stranger  mumbled  thanks  as  he 
turned  to  the  muskets. 

When  he  reached  the  corner  lie  pushed 
his  slouch  hat  back  for  a  moment.  Any 
one  who  had  ever  seen  him  before  would 
have  recognized  him  as  our  old  friend, 
Arthur  Linden,  though  they  might  well 
doubt  his  identity  upon  casting  a  glance 
Upon  his  clothing. 

He  breathed  a  deep  sigh  of  relief  as   he 


pulled  his  hat  down  again  over  his  eyes. 
One  of  the  hardest  stages  of  the  advent- 
ure in  which  he  was  enlisted  was  to  get 
inside  the  prison,  and  after  it  was  over 
he  was  astonished  to  find  how  easy  it  had 
been.  He  would  trust  to  Providence  and 
his  own  resources  to  get  out  with  Harry, 
now  that  he  was  in. 

He  was  in  a  quandary  as  to  the  method 
to  be  used  in  ascertaining  the  situation 
of  Harry's  place  of  confinement,  and  be 
thought  rapidly  while  he  polished  up  the 
dingy  barrels  of  the  muskets. 

Suddenly  a  bright  thought  struck  him. 

"Cap'n,"  he  said,  without  turning  or 
raising  his  head,  "I  saw  a  Yank  this 
arternoon." 

"  Y'ou  did?*'  asked  the  commandant, 
looking  up  from  the  desk  at  which  he 
was  writing. 

"  Yes,  an'  two  sogers  had  him  tied  on  a 
hoss.  They  passed  clost  to  my  pap's 
place." 

"Humph!"  said  the  commandant. 
"That  fellow's  safe  down-stairs,  now, 
but  what's  your  name,  and  who's  your 
*  pap?'  " 

This  question  threw  Arthur  into  some 
alarm.  For  all  he  knew  the  officer  might 
know  all  the  people  within  miles  around, 
and  if  such  was  the  case  he  would  in- 
stantly detect  any  false  statement  as  to 
name. 

However,  after  an  instant's  hesitation 
he  answered: 

"I'm  Jake  Reid,  an'  I  live  'bout  twelve 
miles  from  here." 

"  You  must  be  near  Henry's  headquar- 
ters, then?"  said  the  captain,  laying  down 
his  pen. 

Arthur  would  just  as  willingly  not 
heard  his  name,  butthe  answered  with  as 
much  indifference  as  he  could: 

"  Y'es,  Cap  Henry  ain't  fur  from  us." 

"  Why  didn't  you  join  him  instead  of 
coming  'way  over  here?"  asked  the  officer. 

"'Cause  I  heerd  he  Wasn't  the  man 
you  was,"  replied  Arthur,  venturing  upon 
a  little  bit  of  flattery. 

Before  the  officer  could  make  any  reply 
a  footstep  sounded  outside,  and  presently 
a  man  stood  in  the  door-way. 

"  (iood-night.  Adams,''  he  said,  "T  am 
going  to  bed.  I.t.'s  a  little  early,  but  I 
didn't  get  much  sleep  last  night." 

"Good-night,"  growled  Adams,  as  the 
man  left  the  door. 

Arthur,  however,  dropped  his  rag  as  if 
petrified  with  surprise'.  He  knew  that 
voice  to  belong  to  the  leader  of  the  guer- 
illas, the  man  whom  he  wished  to  avoid 
of  all  others.  He  alone  of  the  inmates  of 
the  prison  might  be  able  to  penetrate  his 
disguise,  and  if  he  did  Arthur  did  not 
like  to  think  of  what  would  follow. 

What  brought  him  here  was  the   next 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


29 


question  that  presented  itself  to  Arthur. 
He  was  the  horseman,  then,  that  he  had 
seen  ride  up  to  the  gate,  only  a  few  min- 
utes before  he  himself  came  in,  but  for 
what  he  could  only  conjecture. 

He  recovered  himself  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible, infinitely  glad  that  Adams  had  not 
noticed  his  confusion. 

One  thing  more  he  had  learned  was 
that  Harry  was  down  stairs  somewhere, 
and  he  concluded  that  the  principal  pris- 
oner were  kept  in  the  cellar. 

He  was  interrupted  h&ie  by  the  voice 
of  the  officer,  who  said: 

"That  wa3  Henry.  I  suppose  you 
know  him?" 

"  It  were?"  replied  Arthur,  striving  to 
appear  indifferent.  "I  didn't  see  'iin; 
my  back  was  to  Jim.  I  guess  that  pris- 
'ner  was  ketched  by  his  fellery,"  he  con- 
tinued, endeavoring  to  get  the  officer 
started  on  the  subject  of  his  latest  capture. 

"Yes,  he  was  caught  over  there  some- 
where," answered  the  officer  curelessly, 
resuming  his  writing. 

"I   wonder   if   he's   the   feller   General 

R sent  out    a  special   order  'bout? 

The  one  as  ketches  him  or  brings  him  to 
the  general  gets  a  com — m,  comm —  what 
you  call  'em?" 

"  "W  hat's  that  you're  saying?"  and  sud- 
denly becoming  interested  Commandant 
Adams  again  laid  down  his  pen. 

Arthur  repeated  his  statement,  careful 
not  to  contradict  himself. 

"If  I  thought  he  was  the  fellow  I'd 
take  him  to  headquarters  to-night,  yet 
I've  sent  no  report,"  muttered  the  officer. 

"  I  wasn't  close  this  afternoon  w'en  I 
see  this  feller,  but  they  was  'most  the 
same  size,  an'  mebbe  you  have  'iin  right 
in  yer  hands.'' 

"  What  do  you  know  about  their  size?" 
demanded  the  commandant. 

"Oh,  I  seed  the  feller  the  general's 
arter  a  couple  o'  months  ago,  over  in 
Tennessee,  knock  down  a  parcel  of  our 
sogers  as  if  they  wasn't  nothin',  an'  git 
away  from  em  .without  any  trouble  'tall. 
He's  a  fast  one,  I  can  tell  you." 

Arthur  spoke  indifferently,  as  if  noth- 
ing interested  him  less  than  this  "  Yank," 
that  he  was  talking  so  glibly  about. 

"Can  you  identify  him  if  you  were 
to  see  him  now?"  asked  the  commandant 
in  excitement. 

"  1  ought  to,  'cause  he  nearly  knocked 
a  hole  in  rny  head  the  time  I  was  tellin' 
you  'bout,"  answered  Arthur. 

"  I  know  now  what  that  robber  Henry 
wanted  here  to-night,"  muttered  the 
commandant  angrily  to  himself.  "But 
I'll  show  him  that  he  can't  get  ahead  of 
me,"  and  reaching  up  he  took  the  lan- 
tern down  from  its  hook  and  called  upon 
Arthur  to  follow  him 


Putting  his  hands  to  his  pockets  and 
finding  his  weapons  where  they  could 
immediately  be  brought  to  service,  he 
rose  from  his  corner  and  started  after  the 
commandant,  who  had  already  left  the 
office. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE   ESCAPE. 

They  crossed  the  yard  quickly,  and  the 
guards,  who  seemed  quite  numerous,  paid 
no  attention  to  Arthur  as  he  was  accom- 
panying their  officer. 

"  I'm  glad  that  old  guerilla  has  gone 
to  bed,"  thought  Arthur  to  himself,  as 
they  entered  the  hall.  "If  he'd  have 
been  around  much  where  I  was  I 
wouldn't  have  stood  much  show  for  get- 
ting through  this  business." 

The  commandant  said  nothing  till  he 
reached  the  stair-way  leading  to  the 
cellar,  then  he  said: 

"You  are  sure  you  know  that  fellow 
the  general  is  after?'' 

Arthur  stoutly  asserted  that  he  did, 
mentally  calling  the  officer  a  fool  to  take 
his  word  for  authority  as  to  what  orders 
the  Confederate  general  had  issued.  Still 
it  was  so  much  the  better  as  it  was,  or 
neither  of  our  heroes  would  ever  have 
seen  his  Northern  home  again. 

The  commandant  opened  several  cells 
before  he  reached  the  right  one,  but  at 
last  he  perceived  a  form  lying  on  the 
floor  in  the  fourth  after  he  "bad  opened 
three  vacant  ones. 

Harry  started  up  as  his  two  visitors 
entered  the  apartment,  looked  sharply 
at  them  for  a  moment,  then  sitting  down 
he  looked  sullenly  at  the  floor  while  the 
commandant  let  the  nght  of  the  lantern 
fall  upon  him,  at  the  same  time  turning 
to  Arthur  with  a  look  of  inquiry  on  his 
face. 

"  Set  the  lantern  on  the  floor  an'  turn 
his  face  up  so  't  I  can  see,"  said  Arthur, 
in  a  hoarse,  unnatural  voice. 

He  hoped  that  it  would  not  be  recog- 
nized, for  he  feared  that  Hairy  might  be 
so  surprised  as  to  attract  the  Confed- 
erate's attention. 

Notwithstanding  his  precaution,  Harry 
started  slightly,  and  raising  his  eyes  cast 
a  penetrating  glance  upon  the  speaker. 

To  Arthur's  relief  the  Confederate 
seemed  to  attribute  Harry's  agitation  to 
the  supposition  that  he  wa?  about  to  be 
identified  as  the  noted  spy  for  whose  ap- 
prehension the  general  was  so  anxious. 

He  approached,  therefore,  and  just  as 
he  put  his  hand  under  Harry's  c  m  the 
muzzle  of  a  revolver  was  thrust  against 
his  head,  and  Arthur's  voice  rung  in  bis 
ear,  "  Move  a  muscle  and  I'll  blow  your 
brains  out." 


80 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


The  commandant,  however,  disre- 
garded the  order. 

Springing  back  he  opened  his  mouth 
to  give  a  shout;  that  would  have  aroused 
the  whole  post,  but  Harry  had  sprung 
up  and  seized  him  by  the  throat  in  the 
nick  of  time. 

Arthur  in  the  meantime  tore  a  piece  of 
his  tattered  brown  coat  off  and  thrust  as 
much  of  it  as  he  could  into  the  officers 
mouth,  as  the  best  and  safest  means  of 
keeping  him  quiet. 

•'Now,  Harry,  get  something  to  tie 
him  tip  with.  This  is  our  last  chance. 
If  we  lose  we  are  goners." 

Wnile  Arthur  was  speaking  he  was 
tearing  the  Confederate  uniform  off  of 
the  officer  as  fast  as  he  could,  and  by 
the  time  Harry  had  that  worthy  bound 
it  was  lying  on  the  floor. 

"(jret"out  of  that  U.  S.  N.  now,  Harry, 
and  into  this  thing,"  he  said,  speaking 
rapidly  and  pointingto  the  pile  of  clothes 
on  the  floor. 

It  took  Harry  less  than  two  minutes 
to  dress  himself  out  in  the  rebel's 
uniform  and  announce  himself  ready  to 
proceed. 

Arthur  picked  up  the  lantern,  saying: 
"  Remember  now,  you  are  the  command- 
ant and  general  boss  of  this  establish- 
ment; your  name  is  Adams.  Don't  say 
a* word  unless  you  must  or  you  will  be 
detected.  I  am  your  serving-man.  Come 
on." 

Arthur  led  the  way  upstairs,  and  when 
he  reached  the  door  which  opened  into 
tln>  yard  he  turned  and  whispered  to 
Harry:  '"  1'ou  take  the  lead  now,  and 
walk  along  as  if  you  owned  the  place. 
Make  straight  for  the  gate." 

Nearly  all  the  guards  had  disappeared 
when  they  stepped  into  the  yard,  and 
they  reached  the  gate  without  molesta- 
tion. 

"Thecap'n  says  you  shall  leave  the 
gate  open  fer  him.  He'll  be  back  soon," 
called  Arthur  to  the  nearest  guard,  as 
they  stepped  out  the  gate. 

An  exclamation  of  astonishment  burst 
from  oneof  the  men,  and  Captain  Henry's 
votee  was  heard  shouting:  '"Follow  them, 
men;  there's  something  wrong  there." 

'Run!  run!  Harry,  that's  Henry,  and 
he  recognized  my  voice,''  whispered  Ar- 
thur, bounding  forward. 

The  bustle  and  commotion  increased 
within  the  prison,  and  in  a  few  moments 
two  horsemen  appeared  at  the  gate. 

They  were  amply  provided  with   weap- 
ons— Arthur  with   those   of   the  guerilla, 
i.  and  Harry  with  I  hose  of  the  officer 
of  the  prison.  , 

They  started  due  east,  hoping  to  reach 
the  river  betore  daylight,  and  work  their 
way  up  to  where  the  Dragon  Fly  lay. 


They  had  not  proceeded  any  distance 
before  they  heard  the  report  of  a  musket 
and  a  ball  whistle  close  above  their  heads. 
The  clatter  of  hoofs  sounded  close  be- 
hind,  and  if  there  had  been  any  number 
of  pursuers  they  would  undoubtedly  have 
been  recaptured. 

"We  must  stop  them,  Harry,"  cried 
Arthur,  drawing  his  revolver.  "You 
take  the  right-hand  one  and  I'll  take  the 
left." 

All  four  fired  almost  at  the  same  mo- 
ment, and  Dairy  felt  a  sharp  pain  in  his 
arm  as  he  saw  the  rebel  at  whom  he  fired 
throw  up  his  hands  and  drop  from  the 
saddle. 

The  horse  of  the  other  carried  him  al- 
most up  to  Arthur,  who  was  nearly  run 
down. 

Neither  of  these  had  done  any  damage 
by  their  shots,  and  Arthur  caught  his 
pursuer  by  the  throat,  dragging  him  out 
of  the  saddle. 

"Now,  Johnny  Reb,  I'll  give  you  five  to 
leave,"  cried  Arthur.  "  One,  two,  three, 
four,  five,"  and  he  covered  the  man  with 
his  revolver  till  he  had  disappeared. 
Then  he  turned  to  Harry. 
"  Where's  the  other  horse?"  he  asked 
quickly. 

"He  ran  off  when  the  rebel  dropped  off 
of  him."  replied  Harry,  speaking  as  if  in 
great  pain. 

"What's  the  matter  with  you?"  de- 
manded Arthur  in  alarm. 

"  I  guess  that  fellow  hit  me  in  the  arm; 
but  never  mind,  we  haven't  time  to 
bother  about  it  now,"  a,nswered  Harry. 

"Well,  jump  on  behind  me,  and  we'll 
make  this  horse  take  us  to  the  river," 
said  Arthur,  looking  back,  expecting  to 
see  u  oi;e  pursuers. 

He  assisted  Harry  on  the  horse,  and 
theu  sprung  up  himself,  saying: 

"  As  soon  as  we  get  to  a  safe  place  we'll 
stop,  and  I'll  look  at  your  arm." 

Harry  found  the  riding  motion  so  pain- 
ful that  after  bearing  it  about  an  hour  he 
declared  he  could  stand  it  no  longer. 

Arthur  at  once  dismounted,  and  tying 
the  horse  to  the  tree  under  which  they 
stopped,  he  lit  the  lantern,  which  they 
still  had  with  them,  and  examined  the 
wound. 

Fortunately  it  was  inflicted  by  a  small 
ball  in  the  fleshy  part  of  the  arm,  con- 
sequently no  bone  was  touched,  but  it. 
was  very  painful,  and  there  was  nothing 
with  which  to  bind  it  up. 

Arthur  hesitated  to  take  the  dirty 
cloth  which  composed  his  impromptu 
suit,  fearing  that  it  would  do  more  harm 
than  good.  Finally  he  cut  a  strip  from 
the  uniform  that  Harry  wore,  and  bound 
it  as  carefully  as  possible  to  prevent 
cold  settling  in  it. 


HARRY  AND  ARTIE. 


31 


Then  they  remounted,  Arthur  putting 
the  horse  on  a  walk,  so  as  to  make  the 
pace  as  easy  as  possible. 

Their  progress  in  this  manner  was  nec- 
essarily slow,  and  they  put  in  the  time  by 
telling  each  other  all  that  befell  them 
during  the  time  they  were  separated,  and 
it  was  midnight  before  they  halted  in  a 
little  belt  of  trees  within  sight  of  the 
liver. 

After  looking  carefully  over  the  spot 
and  making  sure  that  they  were  its  only 
occupants,  Arthur  decided  that  they 
should  pass  the  rest  of  the  night  there 
and  then  start  up  the  river  in  the  morn- 
ing. 

It  was  their  first  opportunity  for  sleep 
for  two  nights,  and  Arthur  fell  asleep 
almost  immediately  upon  lying  down, 
but  Harry  could  not,  owing  to  the  pain 
in  his  arm. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

BACK  TO  THE   GUN-BOAT.     ' 

The  sun  was  just  rising  when  Arthur 
sprung  up,  feeling  very  hungry,  and  he 
only  then  remembered  that  they  had 
nothing  to  eat. 

They  consoled  themselves  with  the  re- 
flection that  if  all  went  well  it  would  not 
be  long  till  they  were  amply  supplied, 
and  then  they  began  to  lay  their  plans 
for  the  day's  operations. 

Arthur  began  to  be  seriously  alarmed 
at  the  state  of  Harry's  arm,  which  was 
very  much  swelled  and  so  stiff  that  he 
could  not  raise  it. 

While  they  were  considering  the  ques- 
tion as  to  what  was  best  for  them  to  do, 
Arthur  constructed  a  rude  sling  and 
placed  Harry's  arm  in  it. 

"I  tell  you  what,  Harry,  I  want  to  get 
you  to  the  surgeon  before  many  more 
hours  go  by,"  he  said,  as  he  completed  his 
work. 

"  We're  ten  miles  from  the  Dragon  Fly," 
groaned  Harry,  "and  it'll  kill  me  to  go 
that  distance." 

But  Arthur  was  firm,  and  accordingly 
they  made  preparations  to  resume  the 
journey. 

He  had  fixed  Harry  as  comfortably  as 
possible  in  the  saddle,  while  he  himself 
intended  to  lead  the  horse,  in  the  hope 
that  by  doing  thus  he  would  save  Harry 
any  jolts  and  give  him  a  more  comfort- 
able seat. 

It  was  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning 
when  they  reached  a  bend  in  the  river 
that  seemed  familiar. 

"The  Dragon  Fly  has  often  been  down 
here,"  said  Arthur,  in  some  excitement. 
"That  must  be  her  smoke  above  there." 

In  about  ten  minutes  they  saw  the  little 


vessel  in  the  middle,  of  the  river,   about 
half  a  mile  further  on. 

In  the  course  of  ten  minutes  more  he 
made  the  signal"by  which  they  were  to 
be  recognized  on  board. 

By  the  commotion  which  immediately 
followed  he  knew  it  had  been  seen,  and 
directly  a  boat  put  off  and  headed  to- 
ward them. 

Arthur  meanwhile  lifted  Harry  from 
the  saddle  and  helped  him  down  to  the 
water's  edge  just  as  three  rousing  cheers 
from  the  boat's  crew  greeted  them. 

He  replied  with  a  will  and  even  Harry 
caught  the  spirit  of  the  moment  and 
chimed  in. 

When  it  was  ascertained  m  the  boat  that 
Harry  was  wounded  there  were  anxious 
inquiries,  as  he  was  a  prime  favorite 
with  all  connected  with  the  Dragon  Fly. 
He  was  helped  carefully  into  the  boat, 
where  Arthur  said  he  was  able  to  speak 
for  himself. 

A  few  minutes  later  the  captain  re- 
ceived them  on  the  Dragon  Fly,  but  see- 
ing Harry  was  wounded  ordered  him  to 
the  surgeon  at  once. 

Then  turning  to  Arthur,  he  said:  "You 
may  report  to  me  in  an  hour,  or  just  as 
soon  as  Phillips'  arm  has  received  proper 
attention." 

When  Harry  made  his  appearance  it 
was  in  a  brand-new  uniform,  and  his 
wound,  properly  dressed,  felt  vastly  bet- 
ter. 

Arthur  at  once  went  to  prepare  for  his 
audience  with  the  captain,  and  our  two 
friends  looked  vei\y  different  when  they 
went  to  the  cabin  than  when  they  came 
aboard  a  little  while  before. 

As  Harry  was  so  much  brighter  Arthur 
stood  back,  as  he  always  did,  and  let  his 
friend  relate  to  the  captain  what  had 
occurred  and  the  success  of  their  enter- 
prise. 

"But,"  said  Harry,  as  he  finished, 
"though  I  originated  the  plan  in  the 
first  place,  it  is  due  to  my  friend  here." 
indicating  Arthur,  "that  it  has  suc- 
ceeded.    If    it    hadn't    been    for    him   I 

would  probably  now  be  hanging  in  a " 

"It's  no  such  a  thing,  captain,"  inter- 
rupted Arthur,  quickly.  "Excuse  me 
for  speaking  as  I  did,  but  I  might  say, 
while  we  are  talking  of  obligations,  that 
if  Harry  had  not  been  along  I  also  would 
be  hanging  somewhere,  for  I  was  accused 
of  being  a  spy,  too." 

"  Well,  well,  never  mind.''  said  the  cap- 
tain, with  a  smile.  "You  have  both  done 
excellent  service,  and  you  have  my  hearty 
thanks  for  it.  I  hope  soon  to  be  able  to 
announce  to  you,"  tapping  some  papers, 
"something  of  more  consequence  than 
mere  thanks.     That  is  all  now." 

THE    END. 


THE  GEM  LIBRARY 

Contains  the  best  stories  that  can  be  procured.  It  is  Original;  full  of  Thrill- 
ing Adventures  and  Stirring  Scenes.  It  contains  Detective  Stories,  War  Stories, 
Frontier  Stories,  Indian  Stories — all  by  the  best  American  authors. 

EVERY  BOOK   IS   COMPLETE. 


. .  EARLE  LYNDON,  THE  SHADOW  ;  or,  Trailing  the  King  of  the  Smugglers.    By  Beau 

T»  T*  O  f*  fi.  ( I P 

. ,  THE  SILENT  AVENGER  ;  or.  The  Fate  of  the  Crooked  Nine.     By  M.  Y.  Hand. 

. .  JERRY,  THE  WEASEL ;  or.  The  Boy  Spy's  Mission.     By  Louis  Bernard. 

. .  COOL  NED,  THE  CYCLONE ;  or,  The  Road  Agent's  Doom.     By  Ned  Buntling. 

. .  HUMAN  WOLVES;  or,  The  Boy  Ventriloquist.     By  Major  Downing. 

. .  THE  TWINS'  STRUGGLES ;  or,  On  the  Road  to  Fortune.     By  Lieutenant  Atkinson. 

. .  THE  CREOLE'S  TREACHERY;   or,  Titus   the  Scout's  Faithful  Servant.    By  T.  P. 

Johnson. 
. .  RICK,  THE  WAIF ;  or,  The  Young  Fisherboy  Sleuth-hound.     By  T.  P.  James. 
. .  BURT,  THE  HERO  ;  or.  Adventures  of  a  Pluc?ky  Boy*    By  James  Franklin  Fife. 
. .  CAVALRY  CURT  ;  or,  The  Wizard  of  the  Army.     By  G.  Waldo  Browne. 
. .  SAM,  THE  WHARF-RAT  ;  or.  Outwitted  by  a  Boy.     By  Louis  Bernard. 
. .  LARKE,  THE  LAWYER  SHADOW  ;  or,  The  Haunted  Ranch  on  the  Prairie.     By  Beau 

Brocade. 
. .  GIANT  PETE,  THE  TRAILER;  or,  Saved  by  a  Miracle.     By  Colonel  Zuri. 
. .  UNDER  TWO  FLAGS  ;  or,  His  Life  for  His  Honor.     A  sequel  to  "  Cavalry  Curt."    By 

G.  Waldo  Browne. 
.  .  MOLL,  THE  TIGRESS  ;  or,  Foiled  by  a  Boy  Detective.     By  Major  A.  F.  Grant. 
. .  TED,  THE  BANTAM  DETECTIVE  ;  or,  Downing  the  Sharpers.     By  George  B.  Lee. 
. .  DICK.  THE  BOY  ENGINEER;   or,  On  the  Right  Track.     By  W.  A.  Hick.-on. 
. .  THROUGH  THE  EARTH ;  or,  Mystery  of  an  Unknown  World.     By  Carl  C.  Buffum. 
. .  ROSS,  THE  MIDDY ;  or,  The  Secret  of  the  Cliff.     By  Mark  Frobisher. 
. .  STEEL  GRIP,  THE  INVINCIBLE  ;  or,  Two  of  the  Finest.     By  Ned  Buntling. 
.  .  DICK  DANFORTH,  the  Loyal  Scout  of  Tennessee.     By  Major  A.  F.  Grant. 
. .  MISSOURI  BILL'S  TRUST;  or,  The  Youn?  Reporter  of  'Frisco.     By  T.  P.  James. 
. .  CAPTAIN  JACK,  THE  UNION  SPY ;  or,  la  Vicksburg  and  Out.     By  Harold  T.  Gray. 
..  SHARP   HART  IN  ST.   LOUIS;    or,  Playing   for  Big   Stakes.      By   Major   Waltei 

Downing. 
. .  GEN  DIXON'S  BOY  AIDE ;  or,  Ned  Trinker  in  the  Army.     By  Lieut.  W.  Atkinson. 
. .    MARK  LEMON,  THE  YOUNG  ENGINEER ;'  or.  True  Yankee  Grit.     By  T.  P.  James. 
. .   UARRAGUT'S  SCOUT  RINGLETS ;  or,  The  Brand  of  the  Mississippi.     By  Cal  De 

Castro. 
. .   HARVEY  DAYRE,  THE  SPY ;  or,  Tracked  for  His  Life.     By  Major  A.  F.  Grant. 
. .    AT  BAY  IN  A  CAVERN;  or,  After  Big  Game.     By  Lieut.  W.  H.  Atkinson. 
. .    BRUCE  HARDY  ON  DECK  ;  or,  A  Hero  for  Uncle  Sam.     By  Morris  Redwing. 
.     LIEUT.  GEORGE  TRELLEN;  or,  A  Tricky  Union  Boy.     By  George  B.  Wilson. 
..    THE  GUNBOAT  BOYS;  or,  Harry  and  Artie   Among   the   Guerrillas.      By  Arthur 

Rankin. 
.     CRAFTY  JACK  HARPER ;  or.  A  Scout  That  Is  a  Scout.     By  T.  P.  James. 
.     SLIPPERY  MILT,  THE  SCOUT ;  or,  Running  the  Gauntlet  of  Island  No.  10.     By  Lieut. 

Henry  Downs. 
WALTER  COLLIER'S  PLUCK ;   or,  Down  the  Mississippi  in  a  Yacht.      By  W.  II. 

Atkinson. 

"We  will  send,  postage  paid,  any  of  the  above  books  on  receipt  of  5  cents 
each.     The  complete  set— 35  titles  in  all— will  be  sent,  postage  paid,  for  GO  cents. 
Do  not  neglect  this  chance  to  get  thirty-five  splendid  stories  for  such  a  small  sum. 
KARTZ  &  GRAY,  Box  407,  New  York,  IV.Y. 


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